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The facility in Bedok North is the first one-stop point in
Singapore for elderly abuse cases. Its services include
counselling, referrals and mediation.
The Trans Safe Centre has its roots in the Safe (Stop Abuse in
Families) programme, which began at Trans Centre, now known as
Trans Family Services, in 2000 as a spousal violence programme. In
2003, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
(MCYS), approached Trans Centre based in Bedok to expand its scope
to include elderly abuse, in recognition of this growing
problem.
Trans Safe Centre is the largest care provider for elderly
people who face abuse. On average, it sees about 80 new elderly
abuse referrals a year. This is including the work they did under
the Safe programme at Trans Centre. Nationwide, an average of 178
elderly abuse cases are reported annually, the Straits Times
reported in October last year.
Mr Alvin Chua, senior social worker at Trans Safe Centre, said
with such a dedicated centre, efforts are now consolidated to deal
with a problem that is relatively new to Singapore. 'Work is
centralised and resources are now pooled together. It is a good way
for us to expand our skills and grow our expertise', he added.