Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if Social Service Agencies not complying with the National Council of Social Service salary guidelines experience higher staff turnover; and (b) if so, what measures are in place to ensure service continuity and quality of care for vulnerable clients served by these agencies.
Answer
1. Staff turnover rates vary across Social Service Agencies (SSAs). An individual’s decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.
2. The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service guides SSAs to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration, relative to wider market conditions, so as to maintain the sector’s attractiveness.
Regardless of the current state of turnover, it is a good practice for all SSAs to have proper transition processes in place to ensure service continuity for clients.