Little is known about how social work supervisors can be equipped and supported. A qualitative evaluation of a supervision of supervisory practice (SOSp) training programme with nine supervisors with 2 years of experience was done. Benefits for the supervisors were the application of knowledge and skills that improved the supervisory practice, and the opportunity to receive feedback. However, lack of time was a major obstacle for quality supervision. Supervisees reported experiencing a more collaborative supervision and an increase in confidence and perception of competence in case management. This exploratory study highlights the importance of developing competencies in the education and support functions of supervision.

Functional motivations are closely linked to important volunteer outcomes, yet more socio-political forms of civic participation (CP) besides volunteering are growing. There is little attention on the applicability of functional motivations to such CP, including in disasters. Using a critical realist grounded theory methodology, 39 in-depth interviews were conducted with Singapore residents who had engaged in a diverse range of CP before and during COVID-19. A key mechanism, Individual Identity Integration, was found to relate to functional motivations. Overlapping functions were found, but there are differences in how these functions were fulfilled depending on the nature of the person’s engagement. Perceived accessibility, the subjective mental state about one’s potential to engage, mediated the effectuation of motivations in actual engagement. COVID-19 contributed to CP by fulfilling functions for personal coping and increasing perceived accessibility. These theoretical developments inform policy and research agenda in understanding and leveraging CP.

Suicide is a public health issue that impacts a nation’s resident and non-resident populations alike. Singapore has one of the largest non-resident (work permit holder) populations in the world, yet very little attention has been given to examining suicide in this population. The current study examined the case materials of all 303 non-resident completed suicides in Singapore in the period January 2011 to December 2014. Their basic profiles were compared with that of the 1,507 resident cases in the same period. A sample of 30 death notes written by non-residents were randomly selected and thematically analyzed to supplement the descriptive findings and discussion. Results showed that suicides were highest among males, those aged 21–35 years old, and South Asians. Most non-resident suicide cases did not have known physical or mental health issues, prior suicide attempts, or suicide notes. Suicide decedents from South Asia and Europe most frequently used hanging, while jumping was most common among decedents from other regions. Relationship and health problems emerged as the top two suspected triggers for suicide based on our analysis of the suicide notes. The unique situation of working abroad may increase non-residents’ vulnerability in general, while adverse life events such as relationship and health issues may be too overwhelming to bear, especially when support services are not readily available and accessible. The results have implications for suicide prevention among this neglected group of people who choose to work in foreign lands.