The Chinese government has made increasing use of the strategy of contracting out social services to non-governmental social work organisations (SWOs) to improve its capacity for social governance. This institutional arrangement provides a space where SWOs are not only involved in the provision of welfare services but also have opportunities to influence policy-making. Based on a qualitative study conducted in Shenzhen and Nanjing, this article shows how SWOs in China engage in depoliticised policy practice, characterised by SWOs’ compliance with the state’s agenda, adoption of nonconfrontational tactics and exertion of professional influence based on expertise. As a result, SWOs have been repoliticised as an arm of the state rather than independent and autonomous policy advocates.