The Big Ambition Analysis for the National Youth Strategy
The Children’s Commissioner’s Office was commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to conduct a new ‘deep dive’ of data from The Big Ambition.
Documents
Details
The Children’s Commissioner for England is responsible for promoting and protecting the rights of children, particularly the most vulnerable. This includes making sure that children’s views are heard and considered when it comes to the policies and services that affect them.
In 2024, the Big Ambition survey found that only 22% of children agreed that people who run the country listen to what they have to say. For this reason, the Commissioner advocates for children’s voices to be central to the work of government; that every strategy, consultation and Act that impacts children’s lives should include their voices in the process.
The project
The Children’s Commissioner’s Office was commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to conduct a new ‘deep dive’ of data from The Big Ambition. This large-scale consultation of children in England was carried out between September 2023 and January 2024 and focused on their experiences, priorities and hopes for young people and the future of the country. This paper presents findings from analysis of qualitative responses, which are largely solution-focused, and sets out what children want the government to do to make their lives better. Findings in this report have been structured by the areas of interest from the DCMS National Youth Strategy:
- Physical, Mental, and Digital Wellbeing
- Community Connection, Cohesion, and Belonging
- Skills and Opportunities for Life and Work
- Safety and Security
- Youth Voice
Findings
This paper shows how much children want to: be listened to, be treated fairly, feel supported, have more opportunities for fun, build positive relationships with peers, feel prepared for the future, and feel safe.
Examples of some key asks from young people include more opportunities to inform the development of policies that will affect them, equal access to support and activities, better physical and mental health services, more parks, playgrounds and sports, more spaces to socialise with friends, better financial and practical education and careers advice, and increased community and online safety.
The contents of this paper present what England’s children said in response to the Big Ambition Survey which was conducted by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner in 2023-24 without necessarily reflecting the office’s policy positions.
It is essential that we listen to young people’s views and share what they say even when they may be contradictory or do not align with our wider evidence base.