The engagement in policy practice of social workers in Germany and Switzerland—A comparative study

Abstract This article presents the results of a cross-sectional quantitative study that, for the first time, examined the engagement of social workers in policy practice (PP) in Germany (n = 1,917) and Switzerland (n = 1,770). The study focused on the following research questions: To what extent do social workers in Germany and Switzerland differ in their (1) identification with political social work, (2) PP engagement, (3) PP skills, (4) received PP training during their studies, and (5) received organizational support for PP? The results suggest that most social workers in both countries strongly identify with the political dimension of social work as outlined in the profession’s global definition. However, the findings indicate rather low levels of PP engagement, PP skills, PP education, and organizational support for PP among respondents in both samples. While this gap between the normative claim and actual involvement in PP was evident in both groups, Swiss respondents were slightly but significantly less involved in all measured domains except for PP education. After a broad and detailed description of the respondents’ involvement in PP, the article concludes with implications for social work practice, education, and further research.