Three years ago, the Aldine House secure unit in Sheffield was on the verge of closure and staff had been given just five weeks to save the facility. The unit, home to some of Britain's most hardened young offenders and otherwise troubled youngsters, was described as "dysfunctional" - outbreaks of violence were commonplace, management was weak and services were poor.
Through the skill and dedication of a new team of workers, Aldine House has been turned round. And last night their hard work was recognised and honoured at the Oscars of the caring professions, the Health and Social Care Awards, which are organised by the Department of Health and supported by the Guardian.
The transformation in the running of the eight-bed, purpose-built unit has been huge and it is now being hailed as a beacon of good practice. The number of violent incidents has been cut by 85% and the young people have achieved examination successes far exceeding the expectations of their teachers. Work is due to start at the end of the year on a new, £800,000 gym. "It is a great success story," says Penny Peysner, the head of children's services with Sheffield council.
The unit's 48 staff were named "team of the year" at the awards ceremony in London. In all, 17 awards were made in recognition of outstanding achievements by individuals and organisations working in the public, voluntary, and independent health and social care sectors in England. The judges looked for attributes that produce higher standards and better experiences for patients and service-users - and in the case of the Aldine House team, that means dedication, innovation, team-working and strong leadership.
Much of the credit for the team's success goes to 44-year-old Francis N'Jie, the centre manager, who took over as head of the unit just days after the five-week ultimatum was set by the social services inspectorate. He had more than 20 years' experience in residential children's care, including working in three secure units.
The challenge was huge: the former children's home only opened as a secure unit in 1997, but had been the subject of countless critical reports. Within weeks, N'Jie put into place an action plan drawn up by the city's social services department. The number of managers was reduced and a major recruitment drive was launched for residential social workers with experience of working in secure units.
A team of three teachers and two learning support assistants was appointed and arrangements were made for regular visits by a psychiatrist and a therapist specialising in anger management and behaviour modification. Security was upgraded and control and restraint techniques overhauled. Another key factor was the creation of a young people's council, where the residents themselves could have a say on the centre's policies and recruitment of staff.
Such participation is vitally important, says N'Jie, although he is anxious to stress that: "It is not a hippy commune. We are not all equal. Although we are registered as a children's home, and there is an ethos of care, security is important."
It has to be. The mixed-sex unit is designed to accommodate young offenders aged 10-16 from across Britain. Their offences may range from murder to repeated robbery. Other residents may be there on remand for a serious charge that would carry a minimum 14-year jail term, or because their behaviour is simply too difficult for other care workers to handle.
Staff say they have focused on teaching the children to exert greater self-control and change their patterns of behaviour. This involves regular sessions with therapists. Reviews of each child's progress are carried out every month - much more frequently than the three-month routine required by the youth justice board. Also, there has been a new focus on education, with support for young people taking GCSEs and additional qualifications in numeracy or literacy. This has been so successful that, last year, the teaching staff at the centre received a regional "servicemark" award for education.
"Previously the children did not sit any exams. The focus was on attendance," says N'Jie, who once trained as a teacher. "We withdrew from Sheffield local education authority and recruited our own teachers and became registered as an exam centre.
"If the children were doing a GCSE course before they come to us, staff will make sure they follow the same curriculum. In the past 18 months, the estimates for the level of attainment have been exceeded by nearly all the children. Some of the teachers have had experience, and all manage to get the children's interest - so much so that we had a lad last year who got four GCSEs even though he hadn't been to school for the previous three years."
The boy, who had received a two-year sentence for robbery, but was released early because of good behaviour, has since got a job with a local authority. And his is not the only success story. At least two residents have gained NVQs: one in administration and one in construction.
N'Jie believes the combination of education, anger management and psychiatric help have reduced reoffending rates and have led to a reduction in violence among residents. The centre is now recruiting a research officer to follow up residents when they leave. Data will be collected on reoffending rates and interviews will be held with young people to find out what centre programmes they found particularly beneficial.
This concern shown by staff for the welfare of young people leaving care is much appreciated. One couple, whose 15-year-old daughter spent four months at Aldine House before moving to another secure unit, tell of the support the family has received from the centre.
"Since our daughter left, various members of staff have kept in touch," says the mother. "They are always there at the end of the phone to give support and advice. We found the unit very child-centred." The 15-year-old, who was given an eight-month custodial sentence, has been in three secure units. She is currently living at home and being treated for a possible personality disorder.
"We have seen other secure units and we think Aldine House has the right balance between education and support and a structure over what they can and can't do," says her father. "The home is very clean and tidy and the staff have somehow managed to instil a sense of pride and respect for property. The children are also allowed to have their say at meetings but staff don't pander to their views or pay lip service to consultation."
Listening to young people is a key factor in the successful running of the centre, where they can have a say on everything except security. Meetings are held at the end of each day and every week. On top of this, the young people's council meets every three months to discuss policy issues and recruitment. Typical concerns for the young people are menus, homework times and domestic issues, such as what they can keep in their bedroom.
On admission to the unit, the youngsters are given an individual behaviour-management programme, which has five targets. Each young person is marked on these daily. The number of points they accumulate influences what activities they can take part in and what possessions they can have in their bedroom. This may be a television or a PlayStation. They may also be allowed extra privileges, such as a later bedtime or weekly takeaway.
It was the young people themselves, with N'Jie, who identified the need for a gym. Although the centre has exercise equipment, such as rowing machines and treadmills, it lacks a sports hall. Plans have been drawn to develop that, with the Department of Health promising two-thirds of the final cost. A staff room and training room will be built also .
The pace of change has astonished Peysner. "There has been a tremendous improvement in the unit which is now a model of excellence," she says. "Francis has built a tremendous team, from the top down to people who provide the meals and to the education staff and social work staff. They all work in a very committed way."
And the winners are...
Outstanding Achiever Award
Doctor: Arun Baksi, consultant physician, St Mary's hospital, Isle of Wight
Allied health professional: Lorraine Lapham, senior physiotherapist, Southampton University Hospitals NHS trust
Social worker: Sue Allan, social worker, children and family services, Southampton social services
Nurse: Faye Macrory, consultant midwife, Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals University NHS trust
Wider health and social care team: Rita Butcher, joint chair, Working Together development group, Tower Hamlets, east London
Team of the Year
Health: Newham diabetes service, Newham Healthcare NHS trust, east London
Social care: Aldine House secure children's centre, Sheffield city council social services
Primary Care Award
Chorley and Ribble primary care trust multi-professional continence team
Heartbeat Award (coronary heart disease)
Isle of Wight primary care trust
New Hope Award (cancer)
Teenage and young adult cancer service, St James University hospital, Leeds
Older People Award
County Durham Care extra care service, Durham county council
Children's Award
1. Children and young person's smoking cessation and prevention initiative, Merseyside
2. Respect, children and young people's rights service, Croydon, south London
Frontline Award for Emergency Care
PPOPS (paramedic practitioner older people's support), South Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS trust
Fast Track Award for Improving Waiting Times
Direct access cataract service, Peterborough Hospitals NHS trust
Lifeline Award (mental health)
Service development team, Somerset Partnership NHS trust
Queen Mother Award
JackDawe Service, Nottingham city council social services
Improving Working Lives Award
Knowsley primary care trust
