Senior Manager, Social Work Unit
MUSLIMIN TRUST FUND ASSOCIATION
Head, Social Work Unit
Position Summary
The Senior Manager, Social Work Services leads MTFA’s Social Work Unit, comprising Residential Services, Community Services and Counselling Services.
The role provides strategic, professional and practice leadership across the three service areas. Its immediate core focus is strengthening social work practice within MTFA’s children’s residential care services, ensuring that residents receive safe, trauma-informed, child-centred and family-focused interventions.
The incumbent will oversee practice standards, case management, safeguarding, supervision and service integration while developing the capabilities of social work and counselling professionals. The role will also strengthen coordination across MTFA’s residential homes, community programmes and counselling services to provide more integrated and effective support for children, young persons and families.
Key Responsibilities
1. Social Work Leadership and Service Direction
Lead the strategic direction and overall development of MTFA’s Social Work Unit.
Establish consistent social work practice standards across Residential Services, Community Services and Counselling Services.
Translate organisational priorities into clear service plans, practice frameworks and operational outcomes.
Advise senior management on social work practice, safeguarding, service risks and emerging client needs.
Promote evidence-informed, ethical, culturally responsive and person-centred practice across the Unit.
Develop the Social Work Unit progressively as an integrated centre of professional practice and service excellence.
2. Residential Social Work Practice — Primary Focus
Provide professional and practice leadership for social work services within MTFA’s children’s residential care settings.
Strengthen case management practices covering intake, assessment, care planning, intervention, review, discharge and post-discharge support.
Ensure interventions are child-centred, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate and responsive to the needs of residents and their families.
Guide the management of complex and high-risk cases involving safeguarding, family difficulties, behavioural concerns, mental health needs and placement stability.
Strengthen family engagement, reunification planning and transition support, where appropriate.
Ensure effective coordination among social workers, welfare officers, counsellors, Home management and other professionals involved in residents’ care.
Conduct or oversee case conferences, multidisciplinary discussions and reviews of complex cases.
Support the Residential Services leadership team in embedding sound social work principles into daily care practices and programme delivery.
Ensure the voice, rights, safety and best interests of children and young persons remain central to case decisions and interventions.
3. Community Services Oversight
Oversee the delivery and development of community-based casework, family support, outreach and intervention services.
Guide the Manager, Community Services and relevant teams in maintaining effective intake, assessment, intervention, referral and case-closure processes.
Provide guidance on complex or high-risk cases and ensure appropriate escalation and risk-management measures.
Ensure community services remain responsive to emerging needs and are aligned with MTFA’s broader service objectives.
Strengthen links between community-based support, residential services and counselling interventions.
4. Counselling Services Oversight
Oversee the quality, accessibility and development of counselling services across MTFA.
Ensure counselling interventions are delivered within appropriate professional, ethical and organisational standards.
Provide or facilitate clinical guidance on case formulation, intervention planning, ethical concerns and risk management.
Ensure complex and high-risk counselling cases receive appropriate clinical oversight, consultation and referral.
Establish suitable arrangements for clinical supervision where specialised expertise or external supervision is required.
5. Practice Supervision and Complex Case Management
Establish a structured supervision framework for social work and counselling professionals.
Provide professional supervision, case consultation and practice guidance to managers and practitioners.
Review selected complex, high-risk or sensitive cases and guide intervention and escalation decisions.
Promote reflective practice, professional accountability and continuous improvement.
Ensure clear boundaries between administrative supervision, case supervision and clinical supervision.
Develop systems for peer reviews, case audits and multidisciplinary case discussions.
6. Safeguarding, Quality Assurance and Governance
Strengthen safeguarding practices across residential, community and counselling services.
Ensure concerns relating to abuse, neglect, exploitation, self-harm or other risks are identified, assessed, documented and escalated promptly.
Establish and monitor standards for case documentation, assessment, care planning, case reviews and service closure.
Conduct periodic case-file reviews and service audits to assess practice quality and compliance.
Ensure adherence to applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, funding conditions, professional codes and MTFA policies.
Identify service and practice risks and implement appropriate corrective and preventive measures.
Support reviews and investigations involving significant incidents, safeguarding concerns or professional practice issues.
7. Service Integration and Care Coordination
Develop clear referral, escalation and coordination pathways across Residential Services, Community Services and Counselling Services.
Facilitate coordinated care for clients and families who require support from more than one service area.
Strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration across MTFA and with external professionals.
Identify service gaps, duplication and workflow issues, and implement improvements to support seamless service delivery.
Promote continuity of care during admission, placement transitions, discharge and reintegration into the community.
8. Programme and Service Development
Lead or guide the development of programmes relating to:
Children and young persons in residential care
Family strengthening and reunification
Youth development and risk prevention
Emotional and mental well-being
Community support and early intervention
Ensure programmes are informed by assessed needs, clearly defined outcomes and appropriate practice frameworks.
Monitor programme effectiveness and recommend improvements based on service data, feedback and practice observations.
Identify opportunities for service innovation, research and sector collaboration.
9. Team Leadership and Capability Development
Lead, supervise and develop managers and practitioners within the Social Work Unit.
Set clear expectations, work priorities and professional standards for the respective service teams.
Provide regular coaching, performance feedback and development support.
Identify capability gaps and develop appropriate training, supervision and professional-development plans.
Build leadership and supervisory capabilities among managers and senior practitioners.
Foster a collaborative, accountable and psychologically safe professional environment.
10. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships
Build and maintain effective relationships with government agencies, social service agencies, healthcare providers, schools and other community partners.
Represent MTFA in relevant professional, sector and inter-agency platforms.
Strengthen referral networks and coordinated support arrangements for residents, clients and families.
Work with partners to address service gaps and improve access to specialised support.
Contribute to reports, proposals and presentations for management, funders, regulators and other stakeholders.
11. Planning, Performance and Reporting
Develop annual plans, priorities and performance indicators for the Social Work Unit.
Monitor service demand, caseloads, client outcomes, practice quality and resource utilisation.
Use service data and case trends to support planning, resource allocation and service improvement.
Prepare timely reports and recommendations for senior management and relevant governance bodies.
Support manpower planning, budgeting and resource management for the Unit.
Key Requirements
Degree in Social Work from a recognised institution.
Registered Social Worker with the Singapore Association of Social Workers, or eligible for registration.
Relevant postgraduate qualification in Social Work, Counselling, Clinical Supervision, Child and Family Practice or a related field would be an advantage.
Substantial social work experience, preferably involving children, young persons and families.
Strong experience in children’s residential care, child protection, family intervention or trauma-informed practice is highly preferred.
Demonstrated experience in managing complex and high-risk cases.
Relevant experience in professional or case supervision, practice leadership and team management.
Experience leading managers, multidisciplinary teams or multiple service functions would be an advantage.
Sound understanding of safeguarding, professional ethics, risk assessment and case-management practices.
Familiarity with Singapore’s social service, residential care and community support landscape.
Strong stakeholder-management, analytical, communication and report-writing skills.
Ability to balance professional practice standards with operational, organisational and regulatory requirements.
Key Competencies
Social Work Practice Leadership
Children and Family Practice
Residential Care and Safeguarding
Complex Case Management
Professional and Case Supervision
Risk Assessment and Crisis Management
Service Integration and Development
Quality Assurance and Governance
People Leadership and Capability Building
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
Strategic Planning and Performance Management