The Sector-Specific Screening Guide (SSSG) and Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG) are part of the Structured Decision Making^® system and provide greater clarity in appropriate intervention for children along the continuum of child protection concerns. Both are evidence-based tools that guide professionals on managing reports of suspected child abuse, and the follow-up thereafter to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. 

• Sector-Specific Screening Guide (SSSG). The SSSG is used by frontline professionals who have contact with children on a regular basis and guides professionals on whether the concern should be discussed with someone in the organisation who is trained in CARG, also known as a CARG user. 
• Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG). Frontline professionals will consult trained professionals within each organisation, who will utilise CARG to guide the decision on whether to report a concern to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) or take alternative action for less serious child protection concerns. 

MSF has trained professionals in the community (e.g. teachers, school counsellors, social service agency staff) to use the SSSG and CARG. For more information on training matters, please visit the training information tab.

1. As a professional, you will be guided in reporting the right information at the right time to the right agency. This reduces the time and resources needed for information gathering and ensures support to children and families is timely. 

2. You can help children and families. When families are referred to the right agencies, parents and children can receive timely intervention from the appropriate agency most suited for their family situation. There is a whole network of agencies that provide different levels of interventions to keep children safe. Within the community, MSF has also set up and trained Child Protection Specialist Centres (CPSCs) to serve as specialists and provide appropriate interventions to keep children safe and support families in their parenting. 

3. Protective Service (PSV) will intervene in the most serious reports of abuse by family members, which requires higher levels of interventions that are more intrusive. 

SSSG and CARG are part of the suite of tools under the SDM system. PSV and NAVH use another SDM tool, the Screening and Response Priority Tool (SRPT) to assess whether the family needs to be investigated by PSV, or if the family’s needs can be better addressed by another agency. This means that even for situations where CARG’s outcome is to report to NAVH, the situation may not warrant an immediate intervention by PSV. 

SDM® assessment tools	Who uses them?	Key decision for user to make	Key benefit
Sector-Specific Screening Guide (SSSG)	Frontline professionals who interact with children in the course of their work, e.g. teachers, doctors, social workers	Should I discuss a concern I have for a child with a CARG user?	Provide a common language and lens on child protection matters and supports consistency in assessing concerns and making decisions by professionals across the child protection system.
Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG)	Professionals trained / more familiar in child protection issues, e.g. school counsellors, medical social workers, senior social workers and their Agency Heads	Should I report / refer the case to: NAVH or Community Agencies (e.g. Social Service Office, Family Service Centres, community-based Child Protection Specialitst Centres etc)?	Guide professionals to think through relevant issues at each decision point.
Screening and Response Priority Tool (SRPT)	PSV, NAVH	Should PSV screen in the case and undertake an investigation if it is screened in, how fast does PSV need to intervene?	Identify the levels of intervention needed and agencies to be involved.

*Since May 2025, Child Protective Service, Adult Protective Service and Children in Care have been integrated to form Protective Service. 

The Sector-Specific Screening Guide (SSSG) is part of the Structured Decision Making SDM^® suite of tools. It is an evidence-informed tool which guides professionals working with children to make decisions on whether a child protection concern needs to be reported to National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH). The SSSG is used by frontline professionals who have contact with children on a regular basis and guides professionals on whether the concern should be discussed with someone in the organisation who is more familiar with child protection issues.

This e-learning module aims to introduce learners to the Sector-Specific Screening Guide (SSSG) and its role in the reporting and screening process by helping professionals sort concerns into those that should be further assessed for reporting consideration and those that require other action or no action at all. It also provides participants with opportunities to practice using the tool with case scenarios.

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

1. Explain the purpose of SSSG in the context of child protection.
2. Explain the relationship between SSSG, CARG and the Screening and Response Priority Tool (SRPT).
3. Identify the area of concern and items specific to the different sectors in accordance to SSSG.

The Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG) aims to help professionals decide on the need to report possible concerns of abuse and neglect of children and young persons to the Protective Service (PSV) in the Ministry of Social and Family Development through NAVH. CARG is part of the Structured Decision Making (SDM)^© suite of tools used in Singapore.

CARG and SSSG guide a reporting process to ensure that:

1. Children, young persons and families requiring statutory child protection services are promptly reported.
2. Cases involving vulnerable children and young persons are provided relevant services and intervention.

The CARG e-learning course provides a review of CARG, opportunity to practice CARG tool through case scenarios and information of the CARG user’s role.

SSI is transiting to a new system from 15 Sep 2025, and e-learning modules are unavailable during this time. Registration for e-learning courses will re-open on 15 Nov 2025. Learners can check the SSI webpage for latest updates, and to register for the course on or after 15 Nov 2025:

• SSSG e-learning (course code: SCYF436): https://iltms.ssi.gov.sg/registration/schedule?coursecode=SCYF436

• CARG e-learning* (course code: SCYF434): https://iltms.ssi.gov.sg/registration/schedule?coursecode=SCYF434

*requires learners to complete SSSG e-learning first.

General

1. What is the Sector-Specific Screening Guide (SSSG) and Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG)?

The SSSG and CARG are evidence-informed tools which help professionals working with children to make decisions on whether a child protection concern needs to be reported to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH). The tools aim to guide the detection, reporting and management of child abuse cases in Singapore. It helps ensure that children and young persons are given the relevant service and intervention according to the needs.

For more information, please go to the 'Information on SSSG and CARG' tab of SSSG and CARG portal (msf.gov.sg/sssg-carg).

 

2. Who uses the SSSG and CARG?

The SSSG is used by frontline professionals who have contact with children on a regular basis. It guides professionals’ decision on whether the concern should be discussed with someone in the organisation who is more familiar with child protection issues (i.e., a CARG-trained user).

Within each organisation, CARG-trained professionals will administer the CARG tool and this will help to guide the decision on whether to report a concern to NAVH, take alternative action or to continue observation and gather more information.

If you are a professional who interacts with children on a regular basis, you are encouraged to sign up for the SSSG and/or CARG e-learning through the Social Service Institute portal^.

_{*requires learners to complete SSSG e-learning first.}

^{^}The SSI learning portal is undergoing an update and e-learning courses will not be available from 15 Sep 2025. Course registration will re-open again on 15 Nov 2025.

 

3. How were the SSSG and CARG developed?

SSSG and CARG were jointly developed by professionals from various sectors such as law enforcement, healthcare, social service and education. They are designed with Singapore’s laws, culture and families in mind. Representatives from these sectors helped create and contextualise the items in SSSG and CARG to include situations that professionals in the sector are most likely to experience. SSSG and CARG are intended to complement rather than replace professional judgement and critical thinking. They do not prohibit a professional from undertaking any course of action he/she believes is appropriate.

For more information, please go to the SSSG and CARG portal (msf.gov.sg/sssg-carg). 

 

Training

1. Who should attend SSSG and CARG User training?

Professionals who work with children or may encounter child protection concerns through their work, are encouraged to attend SSSG and CARG training. For more information on the SSSG and CARG, please go to MSF’s SSSG and CARG portal (msf.gov.sg/sssg-carg). 

 

2. What are the eligibility criteria for SSSG and CARG User training?

There are no eligibility criteria for SSSG e-learning module.

For the CARG e-learning module, learners would have to complete the SSSG e-learning module before starting the CARG e-learning module.

 

3. What is the duration of the SSSG and CARG User training?

The SSSG and CARG e-learning modules takes about one-hour each to complete.

 

4. Where can I obtain the latest version of the SSSG/CARG manuals?

You are encouraged to sign up for the SSSG/CARG e-learning on Social Service Institute (SSI)’s portal^{^} to access the latest e-learning modules and manuals. 

_{*requires learners to complete SSSG e-learning first.}

 ^{^}The SSI learning portal is undergoing an update and e-learning courses will not be available from 15 Sep 2025. Course registration will re-open on 15 Nov 2025.

 

Enquiry

1. If I have questions about SSSG and CARG e-learning modules, who should I contact?

You may email your enquiry to SocialServiceInstitute@ncss.gov.sg.

 

2. I am a trained SSSG / CARG user. Who should I consult if I have further questions about the SSSG / CARG outcome even though the outcome is to consult?

Please consult your organisation’s trained CARG user, or the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) through this form: https://go.gov.sg/navh-revised-reporting-form