MSF’s new SAFER unit alerted social workers to protect young child who was harshly punished

SINGAPORE – A child under the age of six was suspected to have been harshly punished physically – this alert was sent to Allkin Family Service Centre@Sengkang 223D.

This case had been unknown to community agencies previously, said Yasmin Abdul Rahim, head of the centre in Sengkang.

Allkin staff later found out that the family faces multiple problems, such as a history of spousal violence, significant emotional and financial stress, and parenting challenges.

The alert had come from a new unit at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) that collates and analyses data from various government agencies to better spot and stop child abuse.

Yasmin, who declined to reveal the child’s gender, said: “Rather than having to uncover these concerns from scratch, the information (from the SAFER unit) helped us focus on key risks early and respond in a timely manner.”

The family service centre (FSC) drew up a plan to keep the child safe, which includes getting the relatives, the child’s school and healthcare partners to look out for and support the child.

It also managed to get the family to agree to “non-negotiables” such as not using physical force to discipline the child, and ensuring the child is not exposed to their parents’ fights.

Yasmin said the child is no longer harshly punished physically, and the family continues to receive support from the centre.

On Sept 22, the new unit, called SAFER (Sensemaking Alerts for Frontline Engagement and Response), was launched to strengthen the child protection system in the wake of Megan Khung’s death.

Megan, who was four, had been abused by her mother and her former boyfriend for over a year before she died in 2020, in a case that drew public scrutiny and numerous questions in Parliament.

An independent review of her case found multiple breaches across agencies, including a Child Protective Service (CPS) officer failing to log a call by Megan’s pre-school seeking help and police officers not following procedures.

And none of the agencies pieced together the various calls or information to form a fuller picture of the danger that Megan was in, until it was too late.

SAFER is designed to address this gap.

For a start, the unit analyses information given by the Central Narcotics Bureau, the police and MSF agencies, such as the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline and the Early Childhood Development Agency, for families with children below seven years old where there are child protection concerns. 

An MSF spokesperson told The Straits Times that SAFER uses a risk algorithm based on data analytics to combine information from available datasets, including recent stressors or risk events, to assess the family’s potential needs.

Trained professionals review any potential child protection concerns, check against available facts of the case, consult existing case managers, and use their professional judgment to decide the next course of action.

Social service professionals welcomed the alerts provided by SAFER as the families they work with often do not reveal – or may even hide – critical information about developments in the family or about family members.

Some of these facts are hard for social workers to uncover even after they do their due diligence.

Yet, such developments may place children at greater risk of harm, such as if a parent is known to have a drug habit, which could affect their ability to look after children.

Executive director of Good News FSC Steven Tham said some families feel embarrassed or ashamed to reveal certain information.

Centre head of THK Family Service Centre@Tanjong Pagar Jeff Tan said some families are also afraid that the information they share may be used against them, so they remain tight-lipped.

With SAFER giving a fuller picture of what is happening in a family, social workers say they are better able to understand the family’s situation, assess the risks and come up with a stronger plan to keep the children safe.

Yasmin said: “SAFER allows us to identify emerging risks earlier, recognise patterns that may otherwise remain hidden and engage families with the right support before concerns escalate into more serious child safety issues.”

Good News FSC was able to provide more targeted support for a family with three young children after it was alerted to the case.

The children’s mother, who is divorced from their father, was struggling with communicating with them and managing their behaviour. The woman also has financial woes and did not want to talk about her former husband at all.

SAFER alerted the FSC that the children’s father had broken the law, the details of which were not shared with ST.

Upon learning this fact and talking to the children, the FSC’s staff realised the influence the father had on them, which might have contributed to the issues the mother had with them. 

Tham said: “We have to help the children understand right from wrong. Once we knew where the influence was coming from, we can try to address this.”

Social workers added that many of the families they work with struggle with multiple and complex problems, such as financial difficulties, mental health conditions, relationships conflicts and caregiving stress.

Such problems may strain their ability to cope with the demands of life or look after their children adequately, they add. 

While responding to alerts sent by SAFER may require more attention and work, Yasmin said it is a valuable resource. 

She added: “Even when a concern does not materialise into significant risk, the act of checking reinforces our commitment to early intervention and safeguarding children before harm occurs.”