Transforming lives through fostering - Nur Aisyah Binte Mohamad Nizam

Aisyah, a dedicated social worker at PPIS Oasis, plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of foster children under the care of their foster parents.

From volunteering to opportunity

Prior to embarking on her journey in the social service sector, Aisyah dedicated her time as an avid volunteer across various agencies, including Family Service Centres (FSC) and children’s homes, such as Jamiyah Singapore and Pertapis Children's Home. As a volunteer, she not only mentored and tutored children and youths but also organised enriching programmes and activities for them.

Driven by an unyielding passion for helping children and families, Aisyah’s journey took a turn when a friend introduced her to the role of a social worker at PPIS Oasis. This opportunity became a bridge, allowing her to expand her support to children and families in need while simultaneously developing her professional and personal growth.

As she embraced the role at PPIS Oasis, she brought her volunteer experiences with a renewed vigour to contribute to the welfare of vulnerable children and families.

About fostering care

As a social worker in the fostering services, Aisyah collaborates with a team of passionate colleagues to develop and implement a diverse range of programmes and support, benefiting both foster children and families. Leveraging her expertise, she organises engaging outings and events, while offering essential case management support to foster parents. Aisyah, alongside her teammates, provides support in promoting the importance of fostering care within the community.

Additionally, Aisyah collaborates closely with her team to oversee the recruitment and management of volunteers. The team highlights the need for various roles such as transport minding, befriending, tutoring, event support and more. Aisyah takes a hands-on approach by personally conducting interviews with potential volunteers. She ensures that these individuals possess the knowledge and understanding necessary to facilitate nurturing and positive interactions with foster children. Together with her team, she goes beyond routine tasks, actively building community engagement and collaboration. This careful process ensures that both foster parents and volunteers are well-prepared to make informed decisions throughout the application process.

A day in Aisyah’s life

Aisyah indulges herself in a hearty breakfast as a form of fuel for her day ahead. Her workdays are a dynamic blend of office tasks and fieldwork. In the office, she meticulously manages administrative duties and completes essential case reports. At times, she attends offsite and virtual meetings with various professionals such as therapists, teachers, counsellors and child protection officers. These meetings allow her to gain deeper insights into the child’s case plan and the available services and resources to support the child.

The bulk of Aisyah’s role requires her to work closely with her colleagues and supervisors. They frequently engage in case discussions and ensure that the holistic needs of foster parents and children are met.

The supportive pillar of “Jenga”

Aisyah likens the role of a social worker to a game of “Jenga”. In her analogy, each piece of Jenga represents a professional or a system, collectively forming a sturdy support structure to assist the client in overcoming challenges.

Within this professional realm, effective communication among the team is paramount as this promotes an environment where social workers can share their experiences. This exchange not only provides valuable learning insights but also offers an opportunity to observe diverse approaches to different situations and scenarios. Aisyah believes that adaptability and a strong desire for continuous learning, coupled with an openness to learning from mistakes, are key qualities every social worker should possess.

“I’m never alone in this journey, and I can always turn to them for support”.

Aisyah finds joy in her role, even amidst challenging situations, by appreciating the small moments that often go unnoticed. These include the daily interactions with her colleagues; exchanging tokens of appreciation, complimenting one another’s efforts, and sharing words of affirmation, encouragement and reassurances.

One key motivating factor for Aisyah is working with foster parents, colleagues and other professionals who share the same goals in ensuring the safety and well-being of the foster children. One of her greatest inspirations is observing the daily activities of the foster families, as it enables her to witness the remarkable progress each foster child makes within a supportive family, regardless of their circumstances.

A role in Social Sork is one of many roles in social services. To find out more, click read about a career in Social Work.