The team at SeeAbility’s Heather House, in Tadley, Hampshire, are celebrating national recognition of their work from the Chief Nursing Officer for Adult Social Care, Professor Deborah Sturdy OBE.

The Team Award for outstanding services to social care was presented in person by Professor Sturdy, in recognition of the care and support delivered at Heather House for young people with life-limiting neurodegenerative conditions and other complex health needs. 

Heather House is unique in its specialism in supporting people with the very rare degenerative condition, juvenile CLN3 (Batten) disease. It fills a vital gap in nationally available care for young adults affected by the disease, which causes progressive loss of vision, speech and mobility, and it remains the only nursing home of its kind nationally. People with juvenile CLN3 (Batten) disease supported by Heather House live longer than in other support settings, through an expert multi-disciplinary approach and a calming, restorative environment. 

Since its founding with a specialism in juvenile CLN3 (Batten) disease, it has developed expertise in a variety of other neurodegenerative conditions and complex health needs, supporting more people to live longer, healthier, happier lives.

The visit by Professor Sturdy was timely, not just in celebrating 25 years of Heather House and SeeAbility’s 225 year anniversary as a charity, but also in its proximity to Rare Disease Day. Rare Disease Day aims to draw attention and awareness internationally to the 300 million people affected by rare conditions, which includes the spectrum of Batten diseases.

Registered Manager Dawn Hawken, who has also been celebrating her 20 year anniversary at SeeAbility, said:

“Heather House is an amazing place and it is lovely for my team to get this recognition. I am so proud of everyone who works here and am honoured to be a part of this team. 

We are very much like a family so we see it not just as an award for the care and support we provide, but also for the many young people and families that we are on this journey with.”

Professor Sturdy spoke to the team about her passion for ensuring social care is valued as a career and her recognition of the fundamental difference social care nursing makes, leading her to initiate these awards when she was appointed by government in 2020. 

Professor Sturdy said:

"Such an inspiring visit to Heather House, meeting a passionate and warm team of staff who clearly make a real, positive impact on the lives of the people they support to live their best lives. I was delighted to give them a Chief Nurse Award for their outstanding care.”

Professor Sturdy met people the charity supports, members of the team including nurses and physiotherapists and saw facilities and equipment that have been made possible through kind donations to the charity. This includes a recently refurbished hydrotherapy pool, gym equipment and the cutting edge robotic Innowalk Pro. All enable the young people supported to maintain as much of their health and mobility as possible, even as their conditions advance. 

There are also many longstanding volunteers from the local community who offer their time and support, and on site guest suite rooms that bring families together when they feel they would like to stay and be closer to their loved ones.

Read more about the Chief Adult Social Care Nurse and her work.