All ears: Jayachitra (left) monitoring a WhatsApp conversation with a caller for the Talian Kasih line.
EVERY call matters.
That is the key towards building trust at Talian Kasih, the welfare service line which operates around the clock to attend to those suffering from issues ranging from welfare, suicide ideations to domestic violence.
The 24/7 service which was set up by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in 2017, is run by a group of call agents who diligently act as frontliners – on average, they receive between 200 and 300 calls with an agent handling up to 30 calls.
Among them is community development officer Jayachitra Subramanian, who has been with Talian Kasih since August 2019 and currently supervises the call agents.
She says in ensuring the callers’ trust, a set of protocols is in place to ensure each case is being attended to specifically and efficiently.
“We have a call handling protocol. We start with our greetings and proceed to identify the caller’s needs because many times, they don’t really know what we do.
“For example, if someone calls about a child abuse case, we have a set of questions for them as we record the complaint.”
The callers’ confidentiality is also guaranteed.
“We have data protection guidelines for confidentiality and proper handling of the caller’s information. All cases are escalated within 24 hours or immediately depending on the case”.
Priotising calls
When handling cases of abuse or domestic violence, Jayachitra says the agents will proceed to alert the police for further assistance, as well as ambulance services if harm has been made.
She says the agents record up to seven genuine cases of child abuse and domestic violence in a day, before escalating them to the Welfare Department.
Other than handling such calls, ensuring the victims’ safety by directing authorities to the location of the callers remains a priority.
On how call agents handle a life-threatening situation, Jayachitra says it is crucial for them to remain calm while listening attentively, without making any assumptions.
“The duration of the calls does not matter, we need to calm the caller who could have been beaten or experienced a traumatic event, so we need as much details as possible. The duration call might last 30 minutes or more, depending on the severity of cases.
“There are some callers who may be afraid to talk because of their husbands or parents but our call agents have a high successful rate in obtaining the necessary information.
“We offer sympathetic assistance and we have to remind them we are not the police. There are instances when they are angry and shouting, so building trust is key by putting ourselves in their shoes,” she says.
Agents are also trained in handling callers undergoing trauma, stress or are reluctant to talk.
“These agents to replies to messages and as well as returning calls to ensure the potential victims are safe.”
The toughest part of the job, says Jayachitra, is being “human”.
“The cases can affect the agents emotionally. We are human, after all. We will usually take a moment to gather ourselves after handling (some of the) calls.”
She says suicide attempt cases are often a tough one to crack, as the situation can take place even when there are other people around – the goal is to try to save the potential victim or talk them out of it.
“Most of the time, the cases we receive, they just want someone to listen to them. Usually, these people are not looking for a solution, they don’t even want you to tell them it is wrong.
“So, we cannot tell them to stop doing this. We have to work our way around them and their situation instead of being straight to the point,” she said.
Talian Kasih draws in calls from folks young and old, some anonymous, some seeking help for themselves, and some wanting comfort and counselling.
An additional helpline?
While the Talian Kasih plays an important role, child activists are calling for a separate helpline for children to provide more focused and effective support.
In a joint statement, consultant paediatrician and child disability activist Datuk Dr Amar Singh HSS, along with co-secretariat of the Child Rights Coalition Malaysia and Childline Foundation executive director Datin P.H. Wong say a single helpline for both adults and children risks diluting the attention needed for young callers.
They point out that without a specialised line for children, call agents face a higher volume of inquiries, which can compromise the quality of support provided.
“If we would like to improve the quality of our civil service helplines we should move to having two different lines – one general helpline for welfare needs and adult issues and another dedicated to children.
“The dedicated helpline for children and teenagers should be managed by trained staff who have experience in dealing with psychosocial issues in children, including child abuse.
“This would be best done with staff from the Welfare Department partnering with a large network of civil society organisations using the provisions under the Child Act 2001,” they say.
Children, particularly boys, may take time to express serious concerns with some calling up to seven times before disclosing sensitive issues.
These repeated calls, they say, should not be mistaken for prank calls, but rather as dropped calls where children hesitate to fully open up.
Amar and Wong say to ensure the helpline is effective, periodic audits to carry out service quality, responsiveness, staff ability, children’s awareness of the helpline number and also include feedback from young users.
Support integration
Women’s Aid Organisation acting executive director Nazreen Nizam suggests that Talian Kasih to be integrated with other social services to create a more comprehensive support network for victims and survivors.
“The ministry can create partnerships with local non-governmental organisations, the police, and hospitals or clinics to facilitate immediate and coordinated responses.
“I think such an integrated approach could significantly reduce the time it takes for victims and survivors to receive the help they need and ensure a more systematic follow-up on cases.
“They should also increase the capacity and training of the Talian Kasih helpline staff to ensure that all calls are attended to promptly and handled with the necessary expertise and sensitivity,” she says.
Nazreen adds that the implementation of advanced call management systems, such as call-back features, can help ensure that no call goes unanswered and that follow-ups are consistent.
She says enhancing transparency in operations is also important, as it can build public trust and ensure accountability.
This, she says, would not only highlight the helpline’s impact but also help identify areas in need of more resources or improvement.
Those seeking help can call Talian Kasih at 15999 or Whatsapp 019-2615999.
