The social professions and social policy: Proactive or reactive?

This article considers the role of the social professions in influencing social policy in the new policy contexts at the turn of the century. Members of the social professions are often criticized for simply reacting to policy changes rather than proactively contributing to changing or making policy. This article argues that the simple distinction between reactive and proactive masks the important contribution that can be made by members of the social professions to influencing policy through engaging in and demonstrating new and innovative practice, supporting groups of service users to campaign for change, and undertaking research. The first part of the article considers what is meant by 'reactive' and 'proactive' and then looks at methods and tactics for influencing social policy. The second part includes three case studies from Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands and concludes that the social professions have a lot to offer but need to develop their credibility, networking, and influencing tactics so that their voices are heard.