SeeAbility Special Schools Eye Care team receives RNIB accolade

SeeAbility’s Special Schools Eye Care team has been recognised at the RNIB See Differently Awards for its work providing eye care for children with special needs. 

The group from SeeAbility received the Team of the Year award at an award ceremony in central London on Tuesday (21 May).

The awards recognise individuals, teams, and companies across seven categories: Campaigner of the Year, Eye Care Professional of the Year, Best Content Creator of the Year, Team of the Year, Employer of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and the Design for Everyone Award.

The Team of the Year category is sponsored by Meta and recognises a team that has made a “significant contribution to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people by working together and making a positive impact.”

The SeeAbility Special Schools Eye Care Team has clinics in special schools across North West London, South East London, and in some parts of South West London. Last year, the team performed 2800 eye tests.

The service was the first model of its kind in the UK when introduced in 2013, providing sight tests, spectacles, and follow-up care to children with special needs.

Children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem. SeeAbility research has highlighted that while half of children in special schools have a sight problem, many of those who use the service (four in 10) have no eye care history.

Last year, the Government committed to a roll out of the Special Schools Eye Care Service to all children in special schools from April 2024.

Malvi Patel, clinical lead optometrist at SeeAbility, commented: “We are so excited and emotional to win this award. We’ve been doing this job for so many years but every day we feel more and more fulfilled."

“Thank you RNIB for recognising our dedication. SeeAbility will continue to keep doing what we can to better the lives of blind and partially sighted people,” Patel continued.

One of the award judges, Forbes journalist Gus Alexiou, commented: “Specialist eye care services for children with learning and communication difficulties remains a huge area of unmet need across the country. However, Malvi and her team’s dedicated work over the past decade in this area has been instrumental in building national guidelines for setting out best practice in this complex area of practice.”

Speaking to OT about the award win, Patel said: “It was such an honour representing my team for the nomination, and to then go on to win was so wonderful. This win celebrates all the hard work, dedication and passion show by the team, ensuring visual impairment is identified and optimally managed for some of the most vulnerable children.”

Patel continued: “The most exciting part is that a rollout of this Special School Eye Care Service model will make a huge impact on the lives of 160,000 children with a learning disability or autism attending special schools or colleges in England.”

The most exciting part is that a rollout of this Special School Eye Care Service model will make a huge impact on the lives of 160,000 children with a learning disability or autism attending special schools or colleges in England

Dr Jane Macnaughton, specialist optometrist at Leicester Royal Infirmary and a senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, received the Eye Care Professional of the Year award. The category has been supported by Roche UK for 2024.

On the RNIB website, Macnaughton is described as playing a key role in the development of low vision clinics across the UK, and “supports her NHS patients to live safe and independent lives.”

Macnaughton helped create the first training course for eye care liaison officers, has recently gained a PhD in vision rehabilitation, and is writing a book about a visually impaired dragon.

Commenting on the award win, Macnaughton said: “This has truly been a career highlight for me. It was quite nerve-racking because I wasn’t expecting it at all. I’ve spent so much time working in the sight loss sector and it’s such an enjoyable and rewarding career. I’m very grateful to be recognised with the Eye Care Professional of the Year Award.”

“One of the greatest takeaways from the awards night itself was to have been shortlisted alongside two other eyecare professionals each from the ophthalmology and vision rehabilitation professions,” Macnaughton added, continuing: “As an optometrist, I am delighted that the obstacles that once existed between our joint professions are finally breaking down and that we are working better together for the long-term care and support of our patients and service users.”

One of the greatest takeaways from the awards night itself was to have been shortlisted alongside two other eyecare professionals each from the ophthalmology and vision rehabilitation professions

The awards also recognised Margaret Rees as Campaigner of the Year, Molly Watt as Best Content Creator of the Year, and Suzie Simons as Volunteer of the Year.

Rebecca Atkinson received the Design for Everyone Award for her children’s TV series Mixumps, while Tesco was awarded Employer of the Year. Finally, Sir Robin Millar CBE was given the sixth Duke of Westminster Lifetime Achievement Award.

Commenting on the awards, Matt Stringer, CEO of RNIB, said: “The RNIB See Differently Awards celebrate the amazing stories and achievements of so many people and organisations who generously share their lived experience and professional knowledge.”

Congratulating the award winners, Stringer continued: “Whether it’s in the world of employment, the world of influencing, or the world of generating more volunteers, there are some cracking stories to tell, and the ceremony was a great way to trumpet real achievement.”

The RNIB See Differently Awards are supported by People’s Postcode Lottery.