Friday 23 March 2012

One-stop process for residents to get help

By Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 22 Mar 2012

RESIDENTS from South West District will find it easier to get help from various agencies under a new one-stop application process.

From next month, residents need to fill up only one application and referral form when they approach the South West Community Development Council (CDC) or its partner agencies for help.

Information will be shared among the different groups, doing away with unnecessary duplication of interviews, and speeding up the approval process.

Each agency will also appoint a care coordinator who will track referrals to close the loop and make sure no one falls through the cracks.

South West CDC inked an agreement yesterday with close to 40 help agencies to streamline the referral process. These groups include grassroots organisations, family service centres, self-help groups and voluntary welfare organisations.

It is the first among the five CDCs here to formalise such an arrangement with other agencies, even though other CDCs have implemented measures to streamline the process.

By doing so, residents will get the aid they need faster, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who witnessed the signing of the agreement at the CDC's ComCare Local Network anniversary dinner last night.

The current process where residents go through separate interviews and form filling at different agencies can be physically and emotionally tedious, said Mr Tharman, who is also MP for Jurong GRC which is in the South West District.

'I think this is very meaningful. It saves time and most importantly, clears the mental burden and reduces the mental hurdle required to seek assistance,' he said.

South West District Mayor Amy Khor said such an arrangement will make sure 'residents are not pushed from pillar to post'. 'This will also make sure the loop is closed and no one falls through the cracks,' she said.

At the dinner, five ComCare awards were also given to outstanding community volunteers, social workers and grassroots leaders.

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