Build a Singapore social-service resource directory

Make a directory your colleague can use today

Start with a shared spreadsheet and five useful routes. By the end of the day, a colleague should be able to filter by need, open the official source and see who will check the row next. You do not need a custom app or a list of every social service in Singapore.

Use this version for non-urgent resource finding: family support, financial-support information and care-service navigation. Allocate a morning to collecting entries and an afternoon to checking them with a colleague. The aim is a usable shortlist, not a complete national directory.

Keep only public resource information in this sheet. Do not add names, NRICs, household circumstances or case notes; confirm access, eligibility and appointment arrangements with the relevant service before directing someone there. A listing is not an eligibility decision, available place or funding guarantee.

Choose a row type before collecting information

Use navigation for a portal, locator or advice route. Use service for a named centre or programme whose details you have checked. A portal that points to many schemes should not inherit one scheme's eligibility criteria.

Start with navigation rows. Later, add a centre only when your team needs it repeatedly and can maintain its contact details. Keep different branches as separate service rows. Avoid duplicate entries just because colleagues use different names for the same provider.

Create three tabs: Directory, Check queue and Change log. Only the first holds the current records. The queue holds missing details and questions; the log records the row ID, changed field, old value, new value, source, checker and date. Never silently replace a source URL with an AI summary.

Copy the columns and set the sheet up

Paste the CSV header below into a text file, save it as UTF-8 CSV and import it into your preferred spreadsheet. Set resource IDs and phone fields to text. If you later add postal codes, use text there too so a leading zero survives.

Freeze the header and turn on filters. Use dropdowns for record_type and status; separate multiple need_tags with semicolons. Suggested statuses are source-checked, needs-check, retired and unassigned. They describe your record, not whether a person qualifies.

Use five official starting routes

These are navigation routes, not interchangeable service providers. The descriptions below were checked on 13 October 2026. SupportGoWhere needed a browser fallback: its topic links rendered, but a connection notice also appeared. Its application flows were not tested.

Keep these first rows narrow. If you need a particular scheme, follow through to that scheme's current page and create a separate row with its own source and check date.

Five source-checked navigation starters

• SupportGoWhere lets visitors browse support by topics including caregiving, disability and financial support.[1] Check the particular scheme's criteria and application steps separately; no application test is claimed.
• LifeSG has a Benefits and support topic for government and community support.[2] Check the chosen service's requirements rather than copying a portal description into an eligibility field.
• MSF directories use postal-code search for FSCs and SSOs, distinguishing assigned services from others nearby.[3] Check the selected service's intake arrangements separately.
• AIC's Care Services Recommender uses answers to suggest care options; services and schemes require separate applications.[4] Check assessment requirements and availability on the chosen service's page.
• AIC Contact Us describes AIC Link advice for caregivers and loved ones on care services and schemes.[5] Recheck branch and contact arrangements before a visit.

A complete worked entry

The public facts in this entry describe the MSF FSC navigation route, not a particular centre. MSF says FSCs support vulnerable individuals and families with social and emotional issues; people can call, walk in or email an FSC for help.[6] Its directory provides the postal-code lookup.[3]

The local ID, tags, owner, status and review date below are demonstration workflow settings, not MSF facts. Replace the demo owner before using the row. Empty fields are intentional: this example does not establish centre hours, charges, accessibility arrangements or eligibility criteria.

Check a row by following the route

Ask a colleague to use the sheet without your explanation. Give them a fictional task: find the starting route for family support in a chosen neighbourhood. They should filter family-support, open the MSF page and identify the next action. Do not enter a real household's information for this exercise.

Use the source to check each populated factual field, not just whether the URL opens. If the source only supports the name and audience, put only those fields in verified_fields. A page can load while its contact information is old.

When two sources disagree, mark needs-check and add a queue item naming the conflict. Confirm the detail with the current provider page or service. Do not choose the nicer-looking answer. Leave the disputed field blank until resolved, and record which source settled it.

Test the saved filter as well. Your everyday view should include relevant tags, a real owner, source-checked status and a next-check date that has not passed. Keep unassigned rows in the check queue until someone accepts them.

Give maintenance a small, repeatable slot

Nominate one directory owner and a backup. Give each row a checker rather than making everyone responsible. A monthly next-check date is a starting schedule for these navigation entries, not an official expiry period; bring it forward when a change is reported.

Once a week, filter for missing owners, empty next-check dates, overdue dates and needs-check. Assign the queue and remove those rows from the ready-to-use view. A broken URL goes into the queue immediately. Search for the replacement on the same official site; keep the old address in the change log.

When checking, update last_verified only for the fields actually reviewed. Set a new next_check, record any changes and ask a second colleague to review changed access or contact instructions. Retain retired rows in a separate view so familiar IDs remain traceable.

Before sharing the sheet, confirm that every visible row has an owner and a working next step. Add a note above the directory explaining what blank cells mean. Start small enough that the next review is manageable.

For a copyable public-source research prompt, use the ChatGPT prompts for social workers. Keep an AI-generated candidate list in the queue until someone has checked each source.