Opening Address by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, at the Social Work Academia-Practice Research Symposium "Adaptive Capacity Building: Responding to Shifting Landscapes in Social Work Practices" on 17 May 2024

1. Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to be with you at the Social Work Academia-Practice Symposium.
2. This symposium brings together social service practitioners, educators, students and researchers from various countries. We are gathered here for a common purpose, to share and exchange knowledge, so we can uplift and empower individuals and communities we work with. This is the core of what social work is.
3. Thank you to Allkin and SUSS for organising this meaningful symposium.
4. Over the years, the social service sector has shown its resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges. We must sustain this spirit, to plan ahead and strengthen our practices to remain relevant and effective.

Engaging in Continuous Learning

5. Building adaptive capacity is not merely about adjusting to change, it is a mindset where we seize on new ideas, new technologies and new partnerships to address the challenges of tomorrow. 
6. At an individual-level, it means being aware of the future challenges that may impact the clients and communities that we work with. It means staying curious and engaging in continuous learning to widen our skillsets and deepen our practice. By proactively honing and acquiring new skills, and staying updated on emerging trends and best practices, we will be better able to serve the needs of individuals and communities.
7. There are numerous opportunities for our practitioners to engage in continuous learning and cross-share knowledge, such as symposiums like today’s. 
8. At the national level, there is support for all Singaporeans in engaging in continuous learning. During this year’s Budget, the Government announced a $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit top-up and a monthly training allowance for several full-time courses for Singaporeans aged 40 and above. I hope social service practitioners like yourself seize this opportunity to add other skillsets to your toolbox to complement your existing skillsets.

Integrating Research into Practice

9. We must also embrace research because it can refine and deepen social work practice. Research offers insights into the clients and communities we work with and equips us with tools to evaluate our current approaches. By leveraging these insights and tools, we can adapt our practices to better serve individuals and families. 
10. I had the opportunity earlier to speak with some practitioners, academics and students from Allkin, SUSS, and Thye Hua Kwan. What I saw and what they shared with me was that they were leveraging on technology to work with clients and had documented their learning. With insights from their findings, other practitioners are now better informed on the impact of the use of technology in family interventions, and how they can integrate virtual group work in a family violence context. 
11. It is valuable to document learning, such that practitioners across the sector can benefit from these insights. Allkin Singapore’s latest e-book “Learning by Doing” captures the practice wisdom of the agency’s practitioners and is a handy resource for fellow practitioners seeking to deepen your expertise in children and youth work. I would like to congratulate Allkin Singapore, on the launch of the e-book today.
12. Indeed, research is vital to our social service sector as it provides evidence to inform and improve our practice. Recognising the crucial role of research, MSF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SUSS last year, with a shared goal to strengthen the nexus between research and practice. This partnership creates a valuable feedback loop where research informs practice, and practice, in turn, informs research. Through this process, we can improve our practice for the betterment of individuals and families in our society. 
13. In your individual capacities, I urge social service practitioners to continue to explore different and new ways to incorporate research into practice and, better yet, contribute to research efforts. Your frontline experiences working with individuals and families offer invaluable insights that can shape research agendas and generate actionable knowledge. 
14. Our students have a crucial role to play as well. With your academic training, you have the skills to design and conduct research studies that contribute to the development of evidence-based practices. Interested students, practitioners and academics can tap on my Ministry's Social and Family Research Fund. This fund supports research on emerging trends and issues for social and family development policies

Planning ahead at the systems-level

15. Ladies and gentlemen, we need to build adaptive capacity at a systems-level. This is why in Singapore, the Government constantly works with sectors, to design policies and roll out initiatives to be future-ready, as we did ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
16. In the social service sector, we too need to actively plan for the future, and be open to making adjustments, to bring about better outcomes for families.
17. Many families continue to face complex and interlocking challenges. Concurrently, in the upcoming decades, household structures will change – the shrinking of household sizes will result in fewer individuals to take on care and familial support.
18. There is a risk for families to undergo increasing strain. Yet, today, many of us may see the family from one angle only – one may see a couple in the FSC, and another their teenager in the school setting, but both may not be able to put two and two together and support the family as a whole. 
19. Therefore, we will need to work better together in an even more coordinated manner to achieve better outcomes for the entire family. 
20. We will need to lay strong foundations today so that we can be assured that we are collectively able to strengthen families tomorrow

Conclusion

21. The social service sector has done much good work over the decades with its adaptive mindset and collaborative spirit. As we face the road ahead, let us deepen social work practice, partner across, and find creative ways to continually achieve positive outcomes for our clients and communities. 
22. I wish you all an enriching and inspiring day ahead. Thank you.