Social Worker I/II/III

Nigel Wright Consultancy Ltd (UK); Hanford (CA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

Kings County Human Services Agency is seeking qualified Social Worker I/II/III candidates who want to make a real difference in the lives of children, families, and adults through IHSS or APS programs.

Social Worker I provides foundational assessments and service planning, Social Worker II handles more complex cases, and Social Worker III leads assessments and develops comprehensive plans within multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Education: Social Worker I/II require a bachelor’s degree with related coursework. Social Worker III requires same with related field emphasis.
• Substitution: additional qualifying experience may substitute education on a year-for-year basis for up to two years.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of clients; conduct assessments and develop service plans.
• Screen and interview clients in homes, offices, or community settings to determine needs.
• Coordinate services, refer to community resources, and advocate for clients.
• Prepare documentation including case notes, reports, and data.
• Maintain confidentiality and accurate records in electronic systems.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or closely related field

Bachelor’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, or related field (Social Worker III)

Job description

The Kings Human Services Agency is currently seeking qualified individuals for the position of:

SOCIAL WORKER I/II/III

I: $49,961.60 - $60,964.80 Annually

II: $55,182.40 - $67,329.60 Annually

III: $60,964.80 - $74,401.60 Annually

Kings County Human Services Agency is seeking passionate Social Worker I/II/III candidates who want to make a real difference in the lives of children, families, and adults and older adults in our community through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) or Adult Protective Services (APS) programs. Whether you’re just starting out in the field or bringing years of experience, this series offers meaningful work and room to grow. Social Workers I build a strong foundation by assisting with assessments, supporting case plans, and helping clients access services. Social Workers II take on more complex cases and provide deeper guidance and coordination. Social Workers III step into advanced responsibilities, leading difficult assessments, developing comprehensive plans, and serving as key resources within multidisciplinary teams. With multiple openings, this is a chance to join a supportive agency dedicated to empowering and strengthening Kings County residents.

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

Some duties, knowledge, skills, and abilities may be performed in a learning capacity for entry-level (I Level) positions.

• Learn to perform the full range of social services in such areas as adult protective services, in-home supportive services, home studies, and working with socially or physically disabled individuals.
• Manages a caseload of clients; conducts assessments and case studies to evaluate social services needs; develops and carries out service plans according to client initial and ongoing needs.
• Screens and interviews clients in their homes, in the office, over the phone, and in other field locations to assess the basic social, physical, and mental needs of clients and obtain health information in order to identify and provide social services.
• Interprets and explains program goals, objectives, capabilities, limitations, and rules and regulations programs and client legal rights and responsibilities.
• Receives referrals and determines eligibility for services; authorizes and/or coordinates services as necessary to complete individual service plans; follows up with clients to ensure services have been provided timely and according to client needs.
• Informs clients of available community resources including but not limited to employment, training, housing, food and clothing, and health care; makes referrals to other County programs, external service providers, and community services; advocates for clients with various community and social service agencies.
• Conducts home visits in connection with casework assignments.
• Refers complex cases requiring a higher level of care and/or specialized services to appropriate staff.
• Composes and prepares a variety of program related documentation including case notes and dictation, correspondence, documents, reports, and statistical data.
• Maintains accurate and detailed records, files, and databases related to case actions and client interactions; inputs and updates information into electronic case management systems; maintain confidential client documentation.
• Attends and participates in a variety of meetings, case conferences, joint team meetings, in-service trainings, and other staff development activities.
• Provides training to less experienced staff and volunteers as assigned.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Please note: Work experience for the last 15 years must be included in the work history portion of your application. It is also important that your application show all the relevant education and experience that you possess, even if it extends beyond the required past 15 years.

A resume may be attached, but it is not a substitute for completing the application and supplemental questions.

Failure to submit a completed application may eliminate you from the recruitment.

When completing the work history portion of your application please include each level position title and level as a separate entry when applicable (e.g., If you were a Level I and promoted to Level II, each level should be entered separately to reflect the time held at each level).

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

• Social Worker I/II: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in social work, psychology, sociology, or a closely related field. (Substitution: Additional qualifying experience, including equivalent to an Eligibility Worker, Social Services Assistant, or Employment and Training Worker, may substitute the required education on a year for year basis for up to two (2) years.)
• Social Worker III: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, or a related field. (Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may substitute the required education on a year for year basis for up to two (2) years.)

EXPERIENCE

• Social Worker I: No experience.
• Social Worker II: One (1) year of responsible social services casework experience at a level equivalent to the classification of Social Worker I at the County of Kings.
• Social Worker III: One (1) year of increasingly responsible social services casework experience at a level equivalent to the classification of Social Worker II at Kings County.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Licenses:

• Possession of a valid California driver’s license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles at the time of appointment.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualify for security clearance through a background investigation and fingerprint check. Ability to work irregular hours including evenings, holiday and weekends, and travel within and outside the County. Certain positions in this classification may be designated as bilingual, requiring fluency in a foreign language.

For a complete description of duties and qualifications, please view the detailed job specification below.

• Social Worker I
• Social Worker II
• Social Worker III

All completed applications and supplemental questionnaires will be reviewed. Depending upon the number of applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, the examination process may include a screening committee (pass/fail) and/or a written examination (pass/fail) and/or an oral examination (100%) to determine placement on the eligible list.

Note: Those applicants who are among the top 40 written test scores will be invited to participate in the oral examination process.

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Veteran's Preference Application

You must submit a certified DD-214 and a new request form for each application submission prior to the closing date.

Tentative Recruitment Process

Final Date to Apply: October 5, 2026

SME Review: Week of October 12, 2026

Human Resources Oral Board: October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026