Quality service stands as the bedrock upon which trust, accountability and reputation are built. With six decades of service in the community, it becomes clear that the unwavering dedication and commitment of SPD staff towards service excellence have been the driving force behind our enduring impact on the community we serve.
In fact, administrative executive Agnes Chai and EIPIC teacher Michelle Teo exemplified exceptional dedication to their clients. They were among the 40 SPD staff who were recognised for their exemplary service at the Singapore Health Quality Services Awards 2024.
Agnes had been praised by her clients for her kindness and assistance, often showing extra patience in helping newcomers adjust to activities and settling in.
For Michelle, her deep compassion for the children she works with is evident to both the children and parents. Her strong rapport with the children has helped them to achieve significant developmental milestones such as speech and emotional regulation. Michelle also extends her support to parents experiencing worry and anxiety regarding their child’s progress, often taking time to address any questions that the parents might have.
UPDATES chatted with them to find out more about their passion and unwavering dedication towards their work, earning the well-deserved accolades.
UPDATES (U): Share with us your role at SPD.
Michelle: I am an early intervention teacher at SPD@Bedok and I work closely with children with developmental needs and their families who are supported under the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC).
Agnes: I am an administration executive at the SPD Rehabilitation Centre. I do my best to ensure the smooth operations of administrative tasks; supporting both our staff and clients in their daily activities and managing appointments.
U: What was one memorable incident that helped to shape your social service experience?
Michelle: The pandemic had changed the way we support the children and our understanding of the challenges that their families face. As an EIPIC teacher, I had to quickly adapt to using online platforms to conduct interventions. During the Circuit Breaker, the team and I had to come up with home-based activities and resources for caregivers to carry out the children’s learning goals at home. We met with the caregivers regularly online to review the interventions and strategies that they could use.
Agnes: I remember one of our clients who is in her 90s. She would bring homecooked food to the centre for all of us to enjoy. She would always hold on to my hands as an expression of her appreciation to us. Additionally, witnessing genuine smiles and warm exchanges with the elderly in our centre’s communal spaces such as the gym area reaffirms the significance of fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.
U: What motivated you to choose to go above and beyond to provide excellent service for your clients?
Michelle: Previously, I had worked in the service industry for 26 years and thus understand the importance of delivering first-class service to clients. I decided to join early intervention to fulfill my desire to support children with developmental needs. Building trust, let alone strengthening it, requires both time and patience. Parents are naturally anxious for their children because they want the best for them. I will always try to validate their concerns and affirm that they are doing the best for their children. I try my best to communicate with them regularly, be it face to face interaction or using Littlelives, our communication portal with caregivers, to build the rapport.
For those who are passionate in improving children’s lives, I’d encourage them to consider this opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to our community. Whenever I hear from parents about how their child has improved, I feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me.
U: What is one thing you enjoy about your job?
Agnes: It has been a great journey working in the Rehab Centre as I had the opportunity to view life from a different perspective. It warms my heart to see my clients go through their rehab journey and improve tremendously. Whenever my clients hold onto my hands and telling me how appreciative they are of our work, I know in my heart that I made the right choice to commit my career to the social service sector.
U: What does the service excellence award mean to you?
Michelle: Getting this award has boosted my confidence and made me feel great about the work I am doing. I am motivated even more to keep serving the children and families I work with.
Agnes: Winning this award was never my top priority. My focus is going the extra mile to serve my clients to the best of my ability. Th true reward for me lies in seeing the smiles on their faces.
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It is this spirit of service as demonstrated by Agnes, Michelle and all our service excellence champions that will permeate organisational culture and spur every member to think what it means and what it will take to put their clients and stakeholders at the centre of what they do.
