This study was undertaken to assess social workers' perceptions of the nature of social policy and its relevance in practice. Two dimensions of the term 'social policy' were considered. A comprehensiveness dimension referred to the referents of the term; a location dimension referred to where social policy decisions are determined. Assessments were also made of social workers' perceptions of their responsibility to attempt to influence social policy, and of social workers' perceptions of the influence of social policy in direct practice. Data was collected by questionnaire from a nationwide, random sample of professionally trained NASW members Two conceptions of social policy were found to prevail among social workers. The first, a comprehensive conception, consisted of two referents: social welfare agencies, and the social consequences of any policy. The second, a detached conception, included only the referent, the social consequences of any policy, and excluded the social welfare agency referent. Each conception was held by roughly half of the respondents. Social workers' conceptions of social policy were found to be unrelated to their views of the relevance of social policy in practice, suggesting a need for more deliberate knowledge development in the area of social policy for use in practice
