Interview With Local Authority SEND Specialist Adam Zyda
30 Jul, 20241-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- Discover more about the interim SEND job market.
- The challenges currently facing the SEND local authority sector.
- How to find and apply for the best local authority SEND jobs.
In our new feature blog, ‘Interview with a recruiter’ we’re learning everything we can from recruiters in the Spencer Clarke Group office and sharing their expertise and advice to help you build your career across the specialisms we operate in.
This time we spoke to Lead Consultant Adam Zyda to discuss his role recruiting for interim and executive roles within Special Educational Needs and the public sector.
Adam has worked for Spencer Clarke Group for 5 years and is passionate about helping local authorities with their staffing needs, particularly during difficult periods.
In this interview, Adam tells all about the challenges and insights into the SEND interim job market, and how he provides the best service for candidates and councils.
Adam, tell us about yourself
I would say I try not to take life too seriously and I think my friends and family would describe me as a fun, outgoing person.
Outside of work, I spend a lot of my spare time going on long walks with my partner and our miniature poodle Albie. If Albie allowed me to, you would most likely find me on the golf course or playing football.
How did you end up in the world of recruitment?
My background was mainly based around hospitality where I worked in a number of different hotels across Lytham St Annes. I did this for around 5 years before I decided to take a leap into a completely different career.
When I was 22 I found myself falling into the world of recruitment and haven’t looked back since. I initially recruited within the NHS sector for over 5 years and then transitioned over to the SEND market within the last few years.
I am now 10 years into my recruitment career and have worked at Spencer Clarke Group for over 5 of them. I was able to take a lot of the experience and people skills that I learnt from working in hospitality and transferred them into my job today.
What does your role entail at Spencer Clarke Group?
I am currently Lead Consultant within the SEND division here at Spencer Clarke Group. I would say that in the world of recruitment you don’t really have a typical day as it changes so much. However, our focus is based around helping our clients with any immediate and urgent needs to fill a gap within their SEND service.
From here we will then act as the ‘middleman’ and find our clients the perfect candidates. This can either come from existing relationships or through searching on various talent pools and internal databases.
Not only do we service our clients the best we can, but we also pride ourselves on being the best possible point of contact for all of the candidates we work with. It is important we take their job search seriously and match them to their perfect opportunity.
Who do you work with?
My main areas of focus are within local authority SEND services. Within the last 12 months we have supplied to over 80 local authorities and really shown our dedication and commitment within this sector.
A lot of the opportunities we support include: SEND Case Officers, EHC Plan Writers, SEND Tribunal Officers, SEND Team Managers, Heads of Service and so on.
Many local authorities tend to be going through a transformational change within their service, so we often support fairly large projects consisting of 10 to 20 candidates per project.
Can you give us an insight into how the SEND interim job market works?
The interim market can be a little daunting, especially if you are moving away from a permanent role. However, I would say the positives of working interim far outweigh those of working in a permanent role:
- Firstly the interim market offers a much better work life balance. The majority of interim roles tend to start anywhere from a 3 to 6 month contract. However, this doesn’t always mean the contract will end during this time. A lot of our contractors are still happily in a role 12 months after initially starting.
- The number of opportunities available is huge. Even if your contract was due to come to an end, you would most likely only be out of work for a week or two during the transition phase when you move from one local authority to another.
- A lot of contractors tend to enjoy the short break in between transitions as it gives them the chance to spend quality time with their family and friends, and recharge ready to embark on their next adventure.
- If you don't want to take a break, don’t worry! Having worked with over 80 local authorities in the last 12 months, there are always opportunities available that you could dive straight into.
- There are plenty of remote working opportunities with SEND interim roles. Pretty much every single position offers fully remote working which gives you flexibility allowing for a good work life balance.
What is the best thing about being a recruiter in the SEND sector?
I think what stands out for me the most is being able to have a positive impact in the world of SEND. Being able to help local authorities with their support of special education is so rewarding in many ways.
There is nothing more satisfying than finding candidates their dream job and seeing someone be successful in a new placement. You can feel the genuine excitement and joy that the candidates express and that’s what it’s all about.
What are the current challenges facing the SEND local authority job market?
There are a lot of challenges in the SEND local authority sector at the moment with many professionals caught in the crossfire between government regulations and the impact that a failing system is having on children with SEND.
I think the most challenging aspect is finding the best candidates on the market, ones that are not only top quality but are immediately available to help support the local authority in a time of need.
High volume recruitment can be challenging, and even though we have a lot of candidates on our books, not everyone is immediately available and ready to drop everything in their current role.
How does Spencer Clarke Group help local authorities to overcome those challenges?
I would say loyalty is our biggest secret. We have a huge pool of candidates who remain loyal to Spencer Clarke Group because of the relationships we have built over many years. We treat every client and candidate the same and everyone we work with is important to us.
We pride ourselves on being able to provide the best possible service to our candidates and clients alike. Without this dedication, we wouldn’t be able to gain the trust of all those we work with and continue to work with over a prolonged period of time.
What’s your best advice for anyone looking to join the interim job market?
Give us a call! We are always here to provide as much guidance and advice as possible when it comes to moving into the interim market. We will tailor our search around your requirements. These can include the location, rates, job titles, availability. All of which can be huge factors in your job search that we can help support you with.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their career? How can they gain valuable experience?
There are plenty of online courses available you can undertake which can increase your knowledge of the SEND sector. Or I recommend doing voluntary work within a local authority SEND service. It can sometimes be a great way to gain experience if the service allows you to.
What does the future hold for you at Spencer Clarke Group?
The coverage we have in SEND is huge and ever growing. We now have a team of 9 consultants and will be looking to expand in the near future. Our reputation continues to grow and we will do everything we can to ensure this continues by providing the best possible support to all of our clients and candidates. This will never change!
Local authority recruitment services
As specialist local authority SEND recruiters, we support local authorities nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent staffing needs.
We can supply SEND staff for service redesign, tackling annual review backlogs and SEND/EHC Case workers to amend plans or hold annual review meetings.
If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
- South of the UK - Richard Shorrock
- Midlands & North of the UK - Adam Zyda
If you found this beneficial and want exclusive information from our award winning SEND Divisional Manager, check out our interview with SEND recruitment specialist Richard Shorrock.
SEND jobs
If you’re searching for your next local authority SEND job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re a vibrant and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West.
We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
