Social service salaries hiked by up to 15%

Added remuneration should keep Singapore social service professionals competitively compensated.

With effect from 1 July 2012, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MYCS) will increase its funding to Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) running social services and programmes by $10 million (from $60 million in 2011 to about $70 million).

"A large part of the increase (about $6 million) goes towards the salaries of social service professionals to help VWOs provide competitive salaries to attract and retain critical staff," said MYCS.

The funding norms of social service jobs were adjusted to be comparable to salaries of similar jobs in the market. The funding norms of social workers were adjusted by up to 15%. Appropriate adjustments were also made to the funding norms of other key social service professionals (e.g. early intervention teachers, therapists, psychologists, Heads of Agencies, executives).