Consultation to improve childhood post-pandemic

The children’s commissioner for England has launched ‘The Big Ask’, the biggest consultation with children ever undertaken in this country. 

The survey will run until May 19 and will ask children across England to set out their priorities for improving childhood post-Covid.

‘The Big Ask’ will be made available to every school in England, with schools encouraged to use it during classes and assemblies.

It will also be available via the Oak National Academy. The survey will be accompanied by an online assembly introduced by England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.

The results from the survey will be at the heart of the Childhood Commission, a once in a generation review of the future of childhood, inspired by the ambition of William Beveridge’s pioneering 1940s report, which laid the foundations of the post-War social security system.

The Childhood Commission will identify the barriers preventing children from reaching their full potential, propose solutions and come up with targets by which improvements can be monitored.

Dame Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner for England, said: ‘It is time to give something back to children after the huge sacrifices they have made during the Covid pandemic.

‘‘The Big Ask’ will ask millions of children in England to tell us what life is like for them, what their hopes and ambitions are, and what is holding them back.

‘I hope that every parent and carer, every teacher and anyone who works with children will encourage children to take part in this big, exciting opportunity.

‘I want ‘The Big Ask’ to be the biggest survey of children ever carried out in this country so that we can better understand what children want from the people in power and those who make decisions about their lives.

‘What children tell us will be at the heart of my Childhood Commission and ‘Beveridge-style’ blueprint for government and others to tackle some of the generational problems that have held back too many children for decades.’

The survey will be available to any child who can access the internet and is completely anonymous.

It will also be made available to organisations and services working with children including schools, youth groups, local authorities, charities that work with children and young people, children in care, councils, children’s homes, children’s mental health services, youth justice settings, community groups and others.

To ensure that the experiences of babies and pre-school children are captured, the children’s commissioner will be running focus groups with different communities and groups of children, which will include talking to parents and carers.

There will also be focus groups for children with Special Educational Needs, disabilities or other complex needs.

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