Every now and then, something encouraging happens that affirms that the steps we take and measures we adopt are indeed right. Following the accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in June, we are very proud to announce another three awards that SPD received on 28 September.

We were awarded the Charity Governance Award (CGA) 2016 for Large Charities/IPCs category, and also recognised as one of the inaugural Charity Transparency Award recipients. On top of that, we are also privileged to receive the Team Award for Service Quality Improvement (Merit) under the Intermediate and Long Term Care (ILTC) Awards.

The CGA recognises charities that have adopted the highest standards of governance. It is an initiative of the Charity Council to promote good governance in the charity sector by acknowledging the excellent work of charities, while inspiring others to emulate their best practices.

The Charity Transparency Awards on the other hand recognises charities that have shown good disclosure and transparency practices.

“Governance is not a process that we all have to put up with but it is a process that is integral to the good running of every organisation. It is integral to the welfare of our beneficiaries. It starts with a change in mindset which must begin at the Board level, at the Senior Management level and right down to every person who is serving in the organisation,” said Ms Chia Yong Yong, President, SPD.

SPD executive director Mr Abhimanyau Pal (above, right) received the awards from chairman of the Charity Council Mr Gerard Ee, at the Charity Governance Awards Night held at the Sheraton Towers. This is the second time we are receiving the Charity Governance Award, having clinched the same in 2012 when the award was first introduced.

The ILTC Team Awards recognises outstanding quality improvement projects and initiatives implemented in community care organisations.

The Team Award is given to SPD in recognition of our cross-divisional staff and Board collaboration in ensuring a smooth transition when merging the operations of SPD and SPD@Toa Payoh without compromising clients’ interests and welfare. Deputy director for SPD’s adult and elderly services, Mr Jeffrey Chin (above, right), received the award on from guest-of-honour Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor.

“We have kept our clients at the centre of all our decisions during the transition phase at SPD@Toa Payoh, making no compromise to the level of quality and care. An inclusive Singapore is a shared vision held by all at SPD and it will continue to propel them to provide quality care to those under their charge,”

said Mr Chin.

Just as governance for charities goes beyond having good money-handling processes but instead involves almost all aspects of what we do, the awards affirm that both SPD’s hardware and software have attained industry-recognised standards. We will continue to look into ways of improving systems, processes and structure in SPD, and dedicate the awards to all our partners and supporters for sharing our belief and mission through the years, the very people whose support have made it possible for us to win the awards.

*SPD President Ms Chia Yong Yong was interviewed for a video on the the Charity Governance Award 2016 for Large Charities/IPCs category. To catch the segment with Ms Chia, click here and forward to 4:10.