In Parliament on 12 January 2026, Labour MPs Melvin Yong and Wan Rizal spoke up on the National Council of Social Service (Amendment) Bil, making recommendations to improve Singapore social service careers and standards.
Singapore’s social service professionals can look forward to better career progression as the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) evolves to become a sector developer.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Melvin Yong and NTUC’s e2i Stakeholder Management Director Wan Rizal supported the National Council of Social Service (Amendment) Bill on 12 January 2026, offering suggestions to enhance the law.
The Bill was passed by Parliament on the same day.
Given that social service workers play a significant role in ensuring quality service delivery, Mr Rizal urged the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and NCSS to take a workforce-centered approach.
The Jalan Besar GRC MP called for clearer skills and progression pathways, fair and transparent wage standards, and well-being and workplace protection.
In response, Social and Family Minister Masagos Zukifli said MSF and NCSS will be setting up a Protection Practitioner's Care Fund to roll out capability-building and well-being initiatives. More details will be shared later this year.
“Ensuring good jobs in the sector will continue to be part of NCSS’ work as a sector developer. We will work with all stakeholders, including sector members, unions and MOH [Ministry of Health] to ensure these are quality jobs [that provide] clear salary guidelines,” he said.
Work with NTUC for stronger worker outcomes
Mr Rizal called for MSF to partner with NTUC and its unions to ensure worker outcomes are entrenched into the social service sector’s roadmap.
“I hope NCSS will welcome a discussion with NTUC on workforce standards and job quality because workers’ issues are often raised through unions long before they become visible in system-level indicators,” he added.
To increase workforce productivity, he urged social service employers to consider NTUC’s Company Training Committee Grant for support in job redesign, training, and transformation.
Aligning salaries with community care workers
Noting NTUC’s proposed goal to harmonise community care and social service wage guidelines by the first quarter of 2026, Mr Rizal asked the Ministry if the timeline remains and whether NCSS will help to facilitate the standardisation.
Career progression with accreditation
Mr Rizal shared that the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union’s (HSEU) proposed accreditation framework to help community care workers progress, includes wage benchmarks, workforce and skills development, increased productivity through job redesign and grants, and progressive employment practices.
These benchmarks and practices are informed by relevant Government agencies, such as MOH and the Agency for Integrated Care, as well as tripartite standards.
Mr Rizal asked the Ministry if NCSS would accept the accreditation approach and consider extending it to social service agencies.
Making social service careers more attractive
Mr Yong highlighted that social service organisations face challenges in adhering to the NCSS’ proposed salary guidelines and called for greater support to help make the sector more attractive to Singaporeans.
In his other role as NTUC Care Division Director, Mr Yong oversees the NTUC-U Care Fund, a charity that consolidates the Labour Movement’s fundraising efforts to enhance the welfare of low-income union members and their families. The Fund is an NCSS member.
Impact on NCSS members
Mr Yong welcomed the move to strengthen NCSS as Singapore’s social service sector developer. The Radin Mas SMC MP asked about the impact on existing NCSS members, given that there will be a stronger focus on those with social service at their core.
Mr Masagos said that all 400 full NCSS members will be transitioned to become sector members. Updating that the associate member scheme will be ceased, he welcomed those meeting the criteria to apply for the new sector membership. NCSS will ease the transition for current associate members who don’t qualify for the sector membership, including providing support until the term expires.
NCSS board changes
One key amendment changes the size of the NCSS board from 23 members to 15-27 Minister-appointed members. Mr Yong asked whether the move would make decision-making less agile and if MSF would consider capping the number of members to 15.
Responding, Mr Masagos said that the new board size is comparable to the permitted size of other statutory boards, like the National Arts Council and National Heritage Board. He added that the final size of the NCSS board will be based on the sector's needs at the time of its formation.
With its expanded role as sector developer, Mr Yong believes the NCSS board should have a strong mix of skills, knowledge, and experience to take the industry to new heights.
He emphasised having suitable nomination criteria: “We should ensure that the Council has the right subject-matter expertise to drive the necessary changes to the social service sector.”
Flexibility in appeals
Another new provision under the Bill allows members to make statutory appeals. Mr Yong observed that appeals are now restricted to decisions made by the NCSS board and asked whether these requests could also be brought to Mr Masagos to serve Singapore’s wider social service objectives.
Replying, Mr Masagos highlighted that both MSF and NCSS have open channels for organisations to provide feedback.
NTUC is at the heart of the Labour Movement, which comprises 58 affiliated unions, seven affiliated associations, a portfolio of businesses and six related organisations, as well as a growing ecosystem of professional associations and enterprise partners.