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"I enjoy managing change," says Francis N'Jie, centre manager at Aldine House, a secure centre in Sheffield. And a good thing, too. He has certainly had his work cut out to revitalise a service offered by a unit that was in danger of failing.

Opened in April 1997, this local authority secure unit provides residential care for up to eight children, boys and girls. It does not, as you might expect, only take young offenders or alleged offenders on remand, it also takes children being looked after who may abscond or who are likely to harm themselves or others.

Aldine House is part of what the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales calls "the secure estate" which also includes the young offenders institutions run by the prison service. One YJB aim is to cut re-offending, so the aim of secure units is to re-educate and offer damaged and troubled young people a chance for a fresh start.

The care regime worried N'Jie. It is reform not uniform that inspires him. "We're not a prison," he says. "I want the right balance between care and security."

Some of the inherited practices baffled him. Why, he asked, did the young people have to eat off plastic plates? "None of the staff could recall an incident that made ordinary plates a security risk." Similarly, the protective cover across the communal television was removed. "Also, the young people used to be locked in their rooms for half an hour after school, supposedly to do their home work. It would be the last thing they would want to do after spending six hours in lessons. Turns out it was more for the benefit of staff. So we stopped that," he smiles.

The more human regime favoured by N'Jie - good behaviour is rewarded with extra privileges - is in tune with the government belief that time spent in custody should be "constructive, well-supervised and humane". A more streamlined management structure welded to a clearer vision and sense of purpose has seen staff respond superbly.

And nor do the changes compromise security. The Social Services Inspectorate reported that "young people were well looked after in a care environment that was both supportive and well-ordered." An example of this is the two-way call system. If a young person buzzes for help, then staff do not reply through the intercom. "They must go and speak to the person. They talk to humans not machines," says N'Jie. "And anyone who doesn't believe in that can go get a long chain and a uniform."

Education is the key to better life chances. But the service in Aldine House, contracted out to a local school, was floundering. The contract was terminated and N'Jie set about appointing Aldine's own teaching staff. During this process there was a lot of turmoil and confusion with an over-reliance on agency staff. Similarly, some of the centre's other staff, unhappy with the change of direction, also left.

Interestingly, the young people played a big role in the new staff appointments. Applicants spent a day at the centre with the young people who also interviewed them using their own prepared questions. Any candidate receiving a thumbs-down did not progress to the formal interviews on the second day.

The new staff all benefited from a new, intensive three-week induction course, complete with an honourable commitment not to pull them into action until the induction is completed. Now fully staffed, the future looks promising.

"The past 18 months," N'Jie says, "has been a mixture of the challenging, difficult, rewarding, confusing and exhilarating." And has clearly been worth it, as the centre was awarded its first three-year licence on 30 October 2001.

Background

Scheme: Managing change at Aldine House secure centre.

Staff: Centre manager, deputy manager, four assistant managers, 17 FTE residential social workers, three night care assistants, and eight support staff.

Clients: Children and young people

Inspiration: The unit was in danger of losing its licence to operate.

Cost: Annual budget of £1.4m. The centre charges between £3,300 and £3,500 per child per week (compared with £400-£600 charged by young offenders' institutions).

Resources

- For more information contact Francis N'Jie on 0114 262 11600

- Copies available of Aldine House business and development plan