We are incredibly proud to announce that Erren Wheatland, our Head of Health & Clinical Governance, has been awarded the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care Gold Award, one of the highest national honours for nurses in social care.
Presented by Professor Dame Deborah Sturdy, this award recognises Erren’s remarkable leadership, expertise, and unwavering dedication to improving health outcomes for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and complex needs.
A Milestone for Social Care Nursing
During the presentation, Dame Deborah emphasised:
“It’s brilliant that there is this initiative, this recognition of the importance of nursing in social care. Achieve together was one of the first organisations to win a nurse-led team award, and that’s powerful.”
A Champion for Nursing in Adult Social Care
With a career spanning cardiac care, paediatrics, and specialist nursing within the learning disability sector, Erren has pioneered groundbreaking health initiatives at Achieve together. She has:
- Led a specialist nurse-led team, delivering exceptional health and wellbeing support.
- Supported the development of national standards on supporting people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).
- Co-authored a self-study guide on PMLD, used widely in the sector.
- Specialised in complex epilepsy care, supporting individuals at high risk of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy).
- Championed co-production, ensuring people with lived experience shape our health initiatives.
Erren’s Reflections on the Award
Upon receiving the award, Erren said:
“I am absolutely delighted to have been presented with this prestigious Chief Nurse Award. It is an honour and completely unexpected, it is such a privilege to be a nurse, leading a fabulous nurse-led team and making a difference to people’s lives. It is great to see nurses being recognised in this way, and to celebrate the vital role nurses play in adult social care. Thank you!”
Epilepsy Awareness and Purple Day – Shining a Light on Complex Care
With Epilepsy Purple Day approaching on 26 March, we take this moment to highlight the importance of expert nursing support in epilepsy care. At Achieve together, our Health & Clinical Governance Team leads the way in ensuring people receive the best support possible. Congratulations once again to Erren Wheatland for this well-deserved recognition!
#AchieveTogether #ChiefNurseGoldAward #SocialCareLeadership #EpilepsyAwareness #PurpleDay #NursingExcellence
