1. Takeover Challenge & Our Lives Ollie Berman
Director of Communications and External Events

2. Who are we?
Post recommended by the Victoria Climbié Inquiry in 2000 and promoted in UN guidance
Established under the 2004 Children Act and strengthened through the Children and Families Act 2014
Primary duty to promote and protect children’s rights in England including representing their views and interests
Responsibility for wider groups of children on non-devolved issues
Special responsibility for children in or leaving care, living away from home or receiving social care services
Supported by a small team of experts

3. What is the Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Challenge?
The Takeover Challenge is a fun and hugely successful mass children’s engagement project
The Takeover Challenge is about organisations opening their doors to children and young people and involving them in ‘adult’ decision-making roles
The Takeover Challenge puts children and young people into decision-making positions and encourages organisations and businesses to hear their views

4. Why Takeover?
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously

5. Why Takeover? Children and young people - Fun
- Learn about the adult world
- Build confidence and self-esteem
- Learn - new skills and experiences
Adults and organisations
- Fun
- Fresh perspective
- Better decision-making and fewer mistakes

6. Why Takeover?
"It's usually adults who are asked for their views, so I thought it was good that young people were asked what we thought about things. We are the next generation, so I think it's important."
Megan Sutcliffe, aged 16, Bolton Council Takeover
“On Takeover day we’ll be throwing open the doors to the BBC so that some of the youngest members of our audience can see what we do. Hopefully we can even inspire them to do it for real one day.”
Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC

7. Who takes part?
45,000 children and young people and organisations
Any child or young person and almost any organisation can take part
Politicians, councillors
Businesses
Schools
Emergency services Local authorities
Charities
Museums Arts organisations
Religious organisations

8. Takeover 2016 Our focus is on disadvantage and extending Takeovers
The Children’s Commissioner
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe + every London borough police commander
80 local authorities
17 Government Ministers – 100 Government Takeovers
Manchester City Football Club
Sky News
Channel Four News
Central London Musical
The BBC - Blue Peter, Good Morning Britain, CBBC and the Director General
British Red Cross
Teenager Cancer Trust
NSPCC
Arts Council
Hundreds of schools

9. What can libraries do? Involve young people in:
Planning and delivering events and activities
Choosing books and resources
Making the space appealing and welcoming
Developing resources and promoting the library across the school
Takeover digital resources and channels
Organise a Dragons Den style Takeover challenge
Make a film about how to use the library
Publicise the event across the school - champion others to take part

10. What next?
Resources online:
Information pack Tips on promoting the challenge
Posters
Flyers
Logos
Certificates
Placard
Photo consent form
Planning guidance
Action Plan

11. Our Lives How is childhood today different from that of 20 years’ ago?
Snapshot in time of childhood in 2016 as told by children, aged 5-12, themselves
Searchable library of children’s responses to 10 key questions about their lives
Watch the Our Lives film and find out more at