Governance

Children Welfare Association is committed to upholding the utmost standards of transparency and accountability through the best corporate governance practices to maintain public trust.

Children Welfare Association is managed by the Board. The authority, duties and responsibilities of the Board are set out in the Society’s Constitution. As the highest policy and decision-making body, the Board has the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the Society is governed and managed responsibly and prudently.

All board members, committee members and staff members are expected to conduct themselves at all times with honesty and propriety in fulfilling their responsibilities and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Internal audit is conducted regularly to ensure that internal controls are in place and that regulations and our financial, investment and fundraising policies are adhered to.

The Society has in place Conflict of Interest and Whistleblowing policies in its Code of Conduct.

All board members, committee members and staff members are required to declare their interests annually and whenever there are changes to their interests. Board members, committee members and staff members are required to abstain from participating in matters where they have a conflict of interest.

The Whistle-blowing Policy provides feedback channels for our staff members and any relevant external parties to raise genuine concerns without fear of adverse consequences.

Under the guidance of the Crisis Management Committee, crisis management plans are prepared, taking into consideration the uniqueness of each centre and their respective client profiles so that the Society will be able to respond in an effective and timely manner in the event of a crisis. Business continuity, disaster recovery and crisis communication plans are in place to ensure the continuity of delivery of our services in the event of a significant disruption affecting the operations of our centres.

Children Welfare Association has a set of documented procedures in place for financial matters in key areas including procurement of goods and services, payments and limits of approval. Our procurement process seeks to ensure that we achieve value for money so that the Society’s resources are used wisely.

The Society seeks to raise funds for the provision of services and programmes to our service users and for the operations of the Society. A fundraising target is set for the Society at the beginning of every year, and the fundraising campaigns and events of the Society are closely monitored to ensure compliance with regulations and efficient fundraising cost ratios. The Society does not use any commercial fundraisers to raise funds.

The Society has in place guidelines for staff members to ascertain the legitimacy of donations received, on a best-efforts basis, especially for significant amounts of donations, in order to prevent terrorists or money launderers from exploiting vulnerabilities of charities. Written agreements are established with partners who fundraise on our behalf. Suspicious transactions will be reported to the relevant authorities when necessary.

The Human Resource and Remuneration Committee reviews and advises the Board on the relevant frameworks to guide the recruitment, retention and development of staff.  These frameworks take into consideration recommendations from relevant authorities such as the National Council of Social Services, Ministry of Social and Family Development and SkillsFuture Singapore.

Performance appraisal is a key human resource process to ensure that employees receive performance feedback and establish a clear link between performance and remuneration. The appraisal is conducted once a year. The performance rating of the staff member, based on his performance review of the preceding year, will be a key factor in determining his salary and bonus payout.

Children Welfare Association recognises the rights of individuals to protect their personal data, including rights of access and correction. Children Welfare Association is committed to complying with the Personal Data Act 2012, and ensuring proper protection and safeguarding of its information assets from loss, theft, destruction, unauthorised manipulation, unauthorised disclosure or unavailability.

The Society has in place an enterprise risk management process, where the risk register of the Society is reviewed on a regular basis and plans are made to mitigate and manage the risks identified. The Audit and Risk Committee oversees the risk management of the Society, and provides recommendations and findings to the Board.

Children Welfare Association has in place guidelines for the onboarding, training and managing of volunteers. Volunteers are expected to observe the Society’s Code of Conduct. The Community Partnerships Committee oversees the engagement of volunteers.