2011 Census Collector Instructions

2011 CENSUSCOLLECTORINSTRUCTIONS

Office for National Statistics, Segensworth Road, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire. PO15 5RR

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Welcome to the 2011 Census

Congratulations on being selected as a census collector for the 2011 Census. As a census collector your role will be to visit households that have not returned their census questionnaire and collect completed questionnaires from them.

By carrying out this role you will be making a significant contribution to the success of the 2011 Census in England and Wales.

Your instructions

You should use these instructions in conjunction with the General Information for Field Staff which gives an overview of the 2011 Census and the key information that will help you to carry out your role.

Your Census Collector Instructions contain detailed information about how to carry out your duties as a census collector. Please read them thoroughly in order to become familiar with all of the procedures. You should take your instructions with you whenever you are in the field and refer to them when necessary. There are some blank pages at the back of these instructions which you can use to make your own notes as required.

If you are starting work as an early census collector there are detailed instructions regarding your role in the Early Census Collectors section, page 147. However you will still need to read the rest of these instructions before starting work, as they contain all of the information that will help you to carry out your role.

Your training

Your training will include e-learning and a classroom training session. You should refer to your instructions while undertaking your e-learning and take them with you to your classroom training session for reference. If you have any queries about the information in your instructions make a note of these and raise them at your classroom training session.

Once you have completed and passed your training, and have successfully passed all pre-employment checks such as Disclosure Scotland, referencing, vetting and so on, you are ready to commence employment and will be issued with your contract of employment. Before you can start work you will need to sign and return your contract.

We hope you find your job both interesting and rewarding.

Introduction

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INTRODUCTION 3

GETTING STARTED 7 CENSUS COLLECTOR ROLE 7

YOUR CENSUS COORDINATOR 9

SUPPLIES & RESOURCES 11

FOLLOW-UP 13 OVERVIEW OF FOLLOW–UP 13

DOORSTEP BASICS 17

GETTING A RETURN 19

FIELD VISIT REQUESTS 29

DAILY ROUTES & VISITS 33 PLANNING & PREPARING YOUR ROUTE 33

USING THE FOLLOW-UP WORKLOAD 40

COMMON OUTCOMES 50

LESS COMMON OUTCOMES 56

USING QUESTIONNAIRES & FORMS 81 ISSUING QUESTIONNAIRES 81

DUMMY FORMS 88

REFUSAL REPORTS 96

ANNEXES 103 ANNEX A - SUPPLIES 103

ANNEX B – DOORSTEP ROUTINES 107

ANNEX C – FIELD STAFF HANDBOOK 113

ANNEX D – DEFINITIONS 135

ANNEX E – GLOSSARY 145

Early census collectors instructions 147

NOTES PAGES 161

Cont

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Contents

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CENSUS COLLECTOR ROLE

Overview

The main role of the census collector is to obtain completed census questionnaires from households who have not returned them.

Census questionnaires will be sent out to all households in England and Wales in early March. These should be completed and returned on, or as close as possible to, census day on 27 March 2011. Questionnaires can be completed online or sent back through the post.

As a census collector you will start work ten days after census day. Your manager (a census coordinator) will give you a follow-up workload, which contains a list of addresses from which a completed questionnaire has not yet been received. You will have to follow up every one of these addresses to try to obtain a completed questionnaire.

When you make contact at an address, some householders may be reluctant to fill in the questionnaire or unable to do so. Your role is to obtain their completed questionnaire from them by encouraging and persuading them to complete it or by helping them if necessary.

You will need to visit some of the addresses many times in order to make contact with the householder, obtain a completed questionnaire and if necessary overcome reluctance. Your coordinator will advise how much time you should spend trying to make contact with the addresses on each follow-up workload.

If you are unable to obtain a completed questionnaire you must complete what is known as a dummy form. This records information on the household that can be used in place of a questionnaire. It is essential that either a completed questionnaire or dummy form is obtained from every household. (Details on the dummy form and when to complete it are included in the Dummy Forms section, page 88, of these instructions.)

Every household is legally required to return a completed census questionnaire. If contact is made and the householder absolutely refuses to complete the questionnaire you must complete a refusal form, which is passed to the non-compliance team via your coordinator. This initiates the non-compliance process, which can result in the household being taken to court. A completed dummy form will also be required for these households.

Getting started

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These instructions go into some detail about how to carry out your role and the support that will be provided to enable you to carry it out effectively and efficiently. They describe how to get started and how to plan the work needed to ensure the census is a success and what to do should problems arise.

YOUR ROLE IS TO:

• Collect completed questionnaires from households

• Encourage householders to complete their questionnaire when they are reluctant to do so

• Assist householders to complete their questionnaires

• Inform householders of their legal obligations to complete and return a questionnaire

• Record the outcome of all of your visits

TO DO THIS YOU MUST:

• Visit addresses as directed by your coordinator

• Carry out your visits during the daytime, evenings and weekends

• Complete all documentation accurately, clearly and legibly

• Meet your coordinator at least twice a week

• Maintain confidentiality at all times

• Ensure all materials are securely carried and stored

• Read and familiarise yourself with the types of questionnaire that households can use and all the assistance material available to the public

• Know and understand the key census messages

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rtedYOUR CENSUS COORDINATOR

Your census coordinator will be your main point of contact throughout your employment and will provide you with the information needed for you to carry out your job.

A few days before you are due to start work your coordinator will email you with an induction letter giving you their contact details. They will also advise you when and where to attend a team meeting with them on your first day.

Meeting your coordinator for the first time

At your initial meeting, your coordinator will:

• issue you with your ID card

• issue you with all of your supplies and additional materials (see Supplies and Resources section, page 11, and Annex A - Supplies, page 103)

• carry out a risk assessment with you

• give you a telephone contact card and help you to fill it in

• make arrangements for how and when they will contact you during the rest of the operation, including:

� how you can contact them*

� when and where they will meet up with you

• allocate you an initial follow-up workload of addresses to visit and advise you how much time to spend in each area on the list

• advise you of any field visit appointments they may have made for you with householders (see Field Visit Requests section, page 29)

• give you advice and assistance on using the payroll system (see the Pay and Expenses section of the General Information for Field Staff)

• tell you how to report accidents and incidents during your employment (see the Health and Safety section of the General Information for Field Staff)

• give you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have

* Your coordinator will have a census work mobile phone. You will not be paid for any calls that you make to them, as you are paid a telephone allowance, as part of your completion payment, which is intended to cover these calls. However to minimise your costs if you give them your phone number you can arrange to text or ring them and they will then call you back. If your coordinator is not available you should leave a voice mail or text message and they will respond to you within 24 hours.

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Your coordinator will accompany you for about an hour at some point during your first few days. This is so that they can make sure that you are comfortable with your role and that you have understood your instructions and training and are following them correctly. They will also be able to offer support and answer any questions that you may have at that time.

Keeping in contact with your coordinator

During your employment you will be in regular contact with your census coordinator. You will speak to them daily and will meet with them twice a week. You will be able to raise any issues that you might have about your work or ask any questions from members of the public that you have not been able to answer.

Daily telephone contact

Your coordinator will contact you every day that you are working to update you on any addresses that have returned a questionnaire and therefore no longer require a visit.

Meetings

Your coordinator will also meet with you approximately every three days. This will be primarily to collect and update any documents that you have completed. Each week, normally a Wednesday, your coordinator will supply you with a new follow-up workload.

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rtedSUPPLIES & RESOURCES

Supplies

Your coordinator will hand over your supplies to you at your first meeting and you will need to familiarise yourself with them and understand how to use them to carry out your role as a collector. (A comprehensive list of the supplies provided to you can be found in Annex A – Supplies, page 103.)

You coordinator will be able to replenish your supplies at your twice weekly meetings.

Resources for your job

Your coordinator will provide you with information documents which will help you in your role. They will give these to you during your meeting with them on your first day. (A full list of information documents that you will receive can be found in Annex A – Supplies, page 103.)

You must ensure you have read and familiarised yourself with this material before you start work. These resources are not for members of the public but are to help you in your work.

The census staff website will have extensive information that you can refer to. If you have access to the internet, either at home or at a local facility such as a library, your coordinator will provide you with details on how to log on and use this website. If not your coordinator will give you any information that you need to know.

Your coordinator will also pass on any important new information about the progress of the follow-up operation, and the census in general, when they contact you, including responses to any major news stories and so on. In addition your coordinator will be available on the phone so that you can ask them any urgent questions that may have come up.

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Resources for the public

There is a wide range of information available to the public about the census and a variety of assistance materials that they can use to help them to complete their questionnaire.

You should familiarise yourself with this material so that you can effectively direct the public to the most relevant source of help.

The online help centre and the census helpline offer a wide range of resources to help the public complete the census. (You can find details of the information and materials available through these facilities in the Assistance and Accessibility section of the General Information for Field Staff.) We also recommend you visit this website to explore the range of information available and how to find it.

The questionnaire pack that every household receives includes an information leaflet (IL1 or (IL2(W)) which explains how to fill in the questionnaire. You should fill in your own questionnaire and read this leaflet before carrying out any follow-up visits, so that you can refer members of the public to it. You will also carry spare copies of this leaflet that you can hand out on the doorstep if necessary.

Note: If you do get asked a question that you don’t know the answer to, then you should direct the householder to the resources available to them, recommending the online help centre site first and then the census helpline. Alternatively offer to make a return visit and in the meantime ask your coordinator for an answer.

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OVERVIEW OF FOLLOW–UP

The follow-up operation

This section will provide you with an overview of the follow-up process, how it works, its timeframe and the key elements that you will need to be aware of. The rest of these instructions will explain in detail your activities during the follow-up period.

Follow-up is the process of calling on households who have not completed and returned their questionnaire either by post or online, as some form of return is required from every household address in England and Wales.

The follow-up operation is carried out over a four week period. Based on previous experience, we expect the majority of questionnaires to be returned within 10 days of census day. Therefore follow-up starts on 6 April, 10 days after census day, and will end on 6 May.

Two weeks prior to the main follow-up, early census collectors will start work. They assist census coordinators before joining the main follow-up operation.

During this four week period follow-up is carried out in two phases. Each phase focuses on areas known as enumeration districts (EDs). These can be made up of between 200 to 700 households, depending on the type of area covered.

Follow-up

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-up Follow-up phases

Phase one focuses on specific EDs where less households than expected have returned their questionnaire. You will visit households in these prioritised EDs to try to collect their completed questionnaires. Phase one lasts for two weeks from the start of follow-up on 6 April and ends on 19 April.

Phase two starts immediately after phase one on 20 April. In this period you will visit all of the EDs in your area containing households that have not returned their questionnaires. All households will be visited at least once. Phase two finishes at the end of the follow-up process on 6 May.

Follow-up workload

All of the addresses that you need to visit will be listed in your follow-up workload. After your visits you must always update the follow-up worksheets in your follow-up workload clearly and legibly. (You will find information on how to fill in your worksheets in the Common Outcomes and Less Common Outcomes sections, pages 50 and 56, Annex B – Doorstep Routines, page 107, and also in the Using the Follow-up Workload section, page 40, which gives full details on the structure and use of the follow-up workload.)

Follow-up visits

When you call at an address you may or may not make contact with the householder.

Contact:

If you make contact you will attempt to collect a completed questionnaire from the householder and if necessary provide any assistance or encouragement required. You should always aim to leave with a completed questionnaire.

Non contact:

If you cannot make contact at an address you will need to determine whether there is a household resident or not. If so you will have to try to make contact with the householder during a subsequent visit.

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-upField visit requests

Your coordinator may ask you to attend pre-arranged appointments in response to field visit requests from householders. These visits could be to provide help to the householder to complete their questionnaire, deliver replacement or additional questionnaires or collect questionnaires that they do not want to return by post. Unless your coordinator tells you otherwise these requests will take priority over making follow-up visits.

Dummy forms

Dummy forms are a key part of the follow-up process. You will use them when you have been unable to collect or are unlikely to collect a questionnaire from an address. They are particularly important for collecting information when you are unable to make contact at an address despite repeated attempts.

You will always complete a dummy form during phase 2 if you do not obtain a completed questionnaire from a household, unless a dummy form has previously been completed. Your coordinator will provide you with a list of addresses where a dummy has already been completed. (You will find information about when and how to use dummy forms in the Dummy Forms section, page 88.)

Refusals

When making contact you may encounter some householders who refuse to complete a census questionnaire. The type of refusal will determine whether further visits are made to the household. (You will find detailed information on the refusal types in the Refusal Reports section, page 96.)

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-up Definitions

You need to confirm that the addresses that you visit are defined as households and that you are speaking to the householder, who is responsible for completing the questionnaire.

Definition of a householder:

The householder or joint householder is the person, resident or present at the address who:

• owns/rents (or jointly owns/rents) the accommodation; and/or

• is responsible (or jointly responsible) for paying the household bills and expenses

Definition of a household:

A household is:

• one person living alone; or

• a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room or sitting room or dining area

(These and the other most commonly used census definitions can be found in Annex D – Definitions, page 135. You will also find them in your follow-up workload.)

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pDOORSTEP BASICS

You will not always be able to make contact during your visits. However you should always anticipate that someone will answer the door and should therefore be equally prepared for every call that you make.

Every time that you visit an address you should follow the doorstep basics outlined below, together with doorstep routines 1 and 2 (see Annex B – Doorstep Routines, page 107). These doorstep routines are also included in your follow-up workload for reference.

Essentials

Always carry out the following procedures before you visit and when you make contact.

Before you call:

• Have your ID card visible

• Check that you are calling at the correct address

When making contact:

• Introduce yourself and show your ID card

Hello my name is … and here is my ID card

• Tell them where you are from – the 2011 Census

I am from the census / census office

• Why you are calling – a questionnaire has not been received from the household

Our records shows we have not received a questionnaire from your household

Additionally:

• Ask for the name of the person that you are speaking to

• Confirm they are the householder or a usual resident (as this means that they are responsible for completing the questionnaire)

• Ask for the number of usual residents (this information will allow you to decide whether you need to issue a continuation questionnaire and will also be necessary if you need to complete a dummy form)

Remember that your objective is always to obtain a completed questionnaire or, if you are unable to do so, to gather the information necessary to complete a dummy form in its place.

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p Key routines

When visiting households:

• stand back from the doorstep - standing too close could be seen as intimidating

• allow time for the householder to answer the door, as they may have mobility issues or be involved in another task

• be prepared to answer any questions about the census and inform them about the importance of participating in it

• offer the householder assistance to complete the questionnaire if they would like it and you feel that it is appropriate to do so

• encourage the householder to complete their questionnaire online

• issue a replacement household questionnaire if the householder has lost or mislaid their original one

• offer individual questionnaires to any members of a household/usual residents who have concerns about privacy

• offer a household continuation questionnaire if the household has more than six residents or three visitors

• if the householder is reluctant to complete their questionnaire deal with any concerns they may have and remind them of their statutory obligation

• always end by thanking the householder for their time

The Census Field Staff Handbook and the Effective Communication Guide are valuable resources in helping you with your interactions with the public. (You will find the Census Field Staff Handbook in Annex C, page 113, of these instructions, but it will also be provided as a separate document in your supplies.)

Your effectiveness in collecting a completed questionnaire will depend very much on your approach and your ability to get the right message across for the right situation.

You should always be friendly, helpful, professional and positive. Be willing to help and be prepared to answer any questions or address any issues a householder has. Being persuasive and persistent will be key to being successful in getting a completed questionnaire returned.

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pGETTING A RETURN

Your main objective as a collector is to collect a completed questionnaire from every household that you visit. In order to achieve this it may be necessary to provide assistance or encouragement to overcome difficulties, concerns or resistance from the householder.

If you find someone at home when you visit, do what you can to collect a completed questionnaire as you may not get an opportunity to make contact with them again.

Collecting

When you are able to collect a questionnaire from a household the process is straightforward: you will be handed a questionnaire and will need to post it in the nearest mail box as soon as possible and update your follow-up worksheet accordingly.

However you may be informed by the householder that they have posted their questionnaire or completed it online. Whilst many such responses are genuine, experience has shown that some people may say they have completed their questionnaire when they have not and this response should be treated with some caution. You will need to inform the householder that they will be visited again if their questionnaire is not received.

IMPORTANT: You must make sure that you keep any questionnaires that you are handed secure and safe. You are responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of the information that they contain.

Providing Assistance

You will also meet householders who are quite willing to complete their questionnaire but are having difficulties in doing so. In these situations you will need to identify the best way to assist them and what type of assistance is most suitable or appropriate.

You will encounter householders with accessibility, language or communication difficulties and you should be prepared to understand their problems and be able to provide tailored help and guidance where needed.

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p Encouraging a return

Inevitably you will encounter householders who are reluctant or determined not to return their questionnaire. In some cases you may be able to encourage them to return their questionnaire by providing assistance. Alternatively you may be able to change their mind by re-assuring them over issues such as confidentiality and security, or where they perceive the census as intrusive. You should also help them to understand the uses of census information and the potential benefits to them of participating.

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE

There will be a number of situations where you will need to provide assistance, for instance:

• general assistance

• accessibility (visual impairment, hearing difficulties)

• language issues

In these and all other cases you should look to provide assistance as described below.

General Assistance

Whenever you provide assistance, always inform the householder of the range of information available to them either via the online help centre or the census helpline. It will be helpful to know the website address and census helpline number off by heart and you should encourage online completion as the quickest way to fill in a questionnaire. (You should refer to the Assistance and Accessibility section of the General Information for Field Staff to become familiar with the information and guidance available to the public.)

You should also be familiar with the questionnaire and the information leaflet (IL1 or IL2(W)) so that you can answer any questions and provide guidance when needed. Some householders may want you to help complete the questionnaire with them. If you are asked to help complete a questionnaire then it is acceptable to read out the questions and instructions and write in the householder’s answers word for word.

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pIt may be necessary to enter someone’s home to help them complete a questionnaire. For example it may be raining, the householder may be elderly and prefer to be sitting down or there may be children or animals in the home and/or the householder would prefer their front door to be closed.

If you do go into a householders home make sure you are welcome and adhere to the advice provided in your Staying Safe booklet whenever entering homes.

Accessibility

You may visit householders who have problems with accessibility, for example they may be partially sighted or blind, or have hearing difficulties. If so, you will need to assess whether there are any suitable assistance materials which may help them to complete their questionnaire. If there are materials that can help them they can order these through either the online help centre (if they have internet access) or the census helpline.

You can contact the census helpline on their behalf to order assistance materials for them if they ask you to. Alternatively they can use the “Text Relay” service which is available in English for deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired people and allows them to contact the census helpline using a text phone. Further information on this service can be found at: http://www.textrelay.org/using_telephone.php. The number for this service is also in the information leaflet (IL1 or IL2(W) that comes as part of the householder’s original questionnaire pack. However you should never use a householder’s computer to order assistance materials online.

Many people with accessibility problems will have someone that will normally help them complete documentation, so you should try and encourage them to use this person to help with the questionnaire. Alternatively your coordinator may have done some work with local organisations and support groups which may also be able to help the householder, for example because they are running a local drop in centre.

When you come across householders with accessibility problems you should always offer them assistance to complete their questionnaire. You can either offer to help them straight away, if appropriate, or book an appointment for a later date.

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p Language issues

If you encounter individuals who have poor English language skills, then you should try your best to communicate with them. You may find that they can speak English but not write it. If so, you should offer them assistance to complete their questionnaire. If they decide that they would like help, you can either help them straight away, if appropriate, or book an appointment for a later date. You could also ask them where they normally go for help in completing written documents, as they may be able to get help that way.

You should also explain to them that translation booklets are available via the online help centre or the census helpline. If you are working in an area which has a large number of households that speak a common language other than English, your coordinator will provide you with, or you can ask them for, appropriate translation materials to take with you.

If it is not possible to communicate with them then you should show the householder your language identification card (PUB GN_01 and PUB GN_01(W)). This card gives the address of the online help centre where householders can get advice and request translation booklets to help them to complete their questionnaire. It also contains the individual numbers for the available language lines, where they can get additional help and advice.

If the language that they speak is on your card then you can leave them with a copy of the information leaflet (IL1 or IL2(W)) which lists the telephone numbers of all of the available language lines.

You could also write down the relevant telephone number from your language identification card (PUB GN_01 and PUB GN_01(W)) onto a follow-up card (ENM FL_01 or ENM FL_02) and leave this with the householder.

Your coordinator may advise you of census information and questionnaire completion events or drop in sessions that have been organised for community groups in your area. These events are being organised to provide information and assistance to householders who need it. You can also speak to your coordinator about any householders who need help, as they may be able to suggest other methods to assist them.

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pWhere help might also be needed

You may encounter householders with reading or writing difficulties. If so they may be reluctant to admit this and may say that they are unwilling to complete their questionnaire rather than admitting that they are unable to do so. You will need to overcome this barrier before you can offer to help them to complete their questionnaire. For some people, for example those with poor English reading skills, offering to help there and then is likely to be the best way to get a return.

If it is not possible to help the householder there and then you should arrange to return at a convenient time and book an appointment.

Summary

By providing assistance you will increase the chances of a household returning their questionnaire. You may need to answer a few questions about the questionnaire itself or to guide householders to the most appropriate source of information. Therefore it is important you not only understand the questionnaire and how to complete it, but also the information and resources available to the public.

(You will find information on all the resources available to the public in the Assistance and Accessibility section of the General Information for Field Staff.)

ENCOURAGING A RETURN

Not all households will want to complete and return a questionnaire. Encouraging them to do so will be a key part of your role. To do this effectively you will need to able to inform, assist, promote and persist in overcoming a householder’s reluctance. This will require you to know about the key messages and benefits of the census in addition to the information and assistance materials available.

You will need to deliver these messages consistently whenever countering reluctance. The information in your follow-up workload and Census Field Staff Handbook will provide you with responses to many of the questions and issues that you will come across (see Annex C, page 113). You should familiarise yourself with all these resources as they have been developed specifically to help you in encouraging households to participate in the 2011 Census.

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p Householders may be reluctant to complete a questionnaire for a number of reasons. Understanding some of the possible reasons why will help you to address and counter their reluctance. Some of the possible reasons are:

• lack of awareness of the census

• disinterest - some householders may not care and not see the point in participating in the census

• busy - a householder may not have found the time to complete their questionnaire

• damaged or lost questionnaire - some households may have lost or spoiled their questionnaire or require an additional one

• difficulty completing a questionnaire - a householder may be having problems completing a questionnaire and may be embarrassed to admit this

• confidentiality worries - a householder may have concerns that the census may share their information with the local authority or other government departments

• security concerns - a householder may be concerned that the census will lose their personal information

• objections - a householder may object to participating because they do not agree with the government

Some of these are genuine reasons or concerns but you will find that households will also use some of them as an excuse not to complete their questionnaire. You will therefore need to be aware of how to overcome these when you encounter them. The methods to encourage a householder in these situations are outlined below.

When encountering reluctance you will always need to ensure that the householder understands their legal obligation to return a completed questionnaire and that an outright refusal will result in non-compliance action being initiated which can result in a court case and a fine of up to £1,000.

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pLack of awareness

A household may not know about the census. For instance young householders may have been children or teenagers at the time of the last census and had their return completed by their parents. Immigrants may come from a country that does not carry out a census.

• You should inform the householder about the census, the reason it is being held and the legal requirement to complete and return a questionnaire. Householders like this may see the census questionnaire as another piece of post and not realise its importance

• You should also tell them about the benefits of the census, using relevant examples from the Census Field Staff Handbook

Disinterest

If a householder does not see the point of participating you will need to promote the benefits of the census.

• Identify issues that may apply or appeal to the householder, for example the provision of schools, hospitals, sports facilities, transport, housing and health care and so on

• Young people may not think that there is anything in it for them and so will not complete their questionnaire. You will need to promote the benefits of the census equally across all age groups

• You will need to inform the householder about their legal obligation to participate

Busy

A householder may not yet have had the time to complete their questionnaire and they may be busy when you call.

• If a householder says they are too busy to complete their questionnaire tell them that the questionnaire only takes about 10 minutes to complete for an individual or around 30 minutes for a family of four

• Promote the online completion as the quickest method to fill in their questionnaire

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p Damaged or lost questionnaire

Some households may not have been delivered a questionnaire or may have lost or spoiled their original. This is likely to be a common response.

• You can provide replacement questionnaires in these situations. This cannot be used as a reason or as an excuse to fail to return a completed questionnaire

Some larger households, for example those of more than six people, may require a continuation questionnaire. Households may also want an individual questionnaire where a resident over the age of 16 prefers not to be included in the main household questionnaire for reasons of privacy.

• You can supply both of these additional questionnaires and as with the household questionnaire this can not be used as a reason or excuse to fail to return a completed questionnaire

• You should also promote online completion to larger households, as the online version of the questionnaire has room for up to 30 usual residents

(Information on issuing questionnaires can be found in the Issuing Questionnaires section, page 81.)

Difficulties

As mentioned in the Providing Assistance section on page 20, a householder could have problems due to accessibility, language or literacy issues, or because they do not understand the questionnaire itself.

• You should offer them help and guidance, either by directing them to the resources and information available or by offering practical assistance such as helping them with filling in their questionnaire

Failing the above you may want to offer to read out the questions and offer to complete the questionnaire based on their answers.

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pConfidentiality

Some householders will have worries about the confidentiality of any information that they write on their questionnaires.

This could include concerns about their personal data being shared with other government departments. They may also be concerned that their census information will result in them being sent junk mail or marketing material.

• You will need to explain that individual census information is NOT shared with other government departments or with local authorities. It is not shared with the tax authorities or the benefits department

• Individual census data is not shared with marketing companies. Census statistics are published for ‘output areas’ of about 125 households. ‘Disclosure control’ methods ensure that no individual’s information can be identified in the published results

Security

Some households will have concerns about the security of their census data and may quote recent stories in the media about losses of government data.

• You should explain that the census is independent of government: the census is organised and run by The Office for National Statistics who work independently of government or ministerial interference and report only to the elected parliament. The Office for National Statistics have a 200 year track record in protecting personal census information

Objections

A householder may object to the census for various reasons: political, religious, moral or personal. You should listen to the concerns of the householder and be ready to address any issues they may have.

It is important to get across the message that the census is vital for providing public and other services. If certain groups of people are missing from the census then their community will miss out.

Also emphasise it is a legal requirement to participate in the census. If they refuse they can be taken to court and fined up to £1,000.

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Always be prepared to address concerns and counter objections. Try to identify underlying concerns that people may not have shared with you, for example poor English reading skills. When dealing with reluctance it is important to remember that there is no acceptable reason for a household not to complete and return a questionnaire.

In some cases the most effective way to obtain a completed questionnaire will be for you to help the householder complete their questionnaire when you visit. This is likely to take a relatively large amount of your time but can ultimately be the most effective action to take.

Remember, whether you are providing assistance or encouragement your main objective is always to collect a completed questionnaire.

As previously mentioned you should have the Census Field Staff Handbook to hand, as this will provide many answers to the types of questions you are likely to encounter.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN A QUESTIONNAIRE

Despite your best efforts you will often not be able to obtain a completed questionnaire during your visits. These addresses will remain on the follow-up worksheet for you to call back at a different time.

You may also eventually encounter a householder who, despite all your efforts, will not want to complete a questionnaire whatever you say. In these cases you will have to begin the refusal process. (The different types of refusal and the action to take when you encounter a refusal are detailed in the Refusal Reports section, page 96.)

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pFIELD VISIT REQUESTS

Your coordinator may arrange appointments for you to visit householders who have called the census helpline to request a field visit. The reasons for these requests could include:

• helping a householder to complete their questionnaires

• explaining any specific sections that they are unsure about

• delivering replacement or additional questionnaires

• collecting questionnaires that they do not want to return by post

When your coordinator calls you to advise you of any visits that they have arranged they will tell you:

• the date and time for the visit

• an agreed password, if the householder has requested one

• information about any language requirements that the householder may have (if you speak a particular language your coordinator may ask you to visit a household that is not in your present workload to offer assistance with translation)

• a code indicating the emotional state of the householder when they called the census helpline to request the visit

Note: The emotional state codes are given in the table overleaf. They are assigned by the advisor who received the householder’s call, and should be used as an indication of the householder’s emotional state when they rang the census helpline only. Your coordinator will also have spoken to the householder when arranging your visit, and should be able to tell you whether their emotional state has changed since their initial call and if so how. If the householder’s initial emotional state was a four or a five and has not changed significantly it is unlikely that you will be asked to carry out a visit in these circumstances.

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Your coordinator may also ask you to check on addresses for other reasons, for instance where a caller has reported that a questionnaire has been delivered to a property that is not a current household residence. For example because it is vacant, derelict, demolished non residential, multi-occupied or sub-divided. These will not be by appointment and will be carried out as part of your daily routine.

You may also be asked to check an address where a member of the public has requested an item from the census helpline, but the address has not been validated. Your coordinator will ask you to visit and clarify the address and either deliver a questionnaire to the household or advise on the outcome of the visit.

Code Description Definition1 Neutral The caller does not appear to be distressed,

or unhappy, and displays no verbal signs of aggression.

2 Unhappy The caller may state they are unhappy; they may be defensive or display difficulty or unwillingness to interact with the advisor.

3 Distressed The caller is extremely worried about the issue being discussed; this may include crying, anxiety, or repetition of the core issues discussed during the call.

4 Angry The caller may raise their voice, displaying some signs of a lack of control, but their behaviour is not considered to be offensive or threatening (e.g. swearing or threatening tone).

5 Abusive An abusive call can be silent, threatening, offensive, and/or obscene, and may include shouting, swearing and insulting or aggressive comments.

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You should record the outcomes of your field visits as follows:

• where the address is in your current follow-up workload, you will need to update your follow-up worksheet in accordance with the instructions in the Common Outcomes and Less Common Outcomes sections, pages 50 and 56, depending on the outcome of the visit

• where the address is not in your current follow-up workload you will need to record the outcome of your visit on a field visit sheet (ENM FL16) as follows:

1. record the address details of the property in column A

2. record the reason for the visit, including an emotional state code, if applicable, in column B

3. record the date and time of the visit on column C

4. attach the self-adhesive barcode stickers of any replacement or additional questionnaires issued or dummy form completed in successive lines of column E

5. circle either AQ or RQ in each line of column F as necessary

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p If you visit an address where you get no response you will leave a failed field visit card (ENM FVC_01 or ENM FVC_01(W)) which says ‘sorry we missed you’. You will need to put your coordinators phone number on this card, so that the householder can call to arrange another visit if necessary. It is up to the householder to ring and rearrange the visit if needed. It may be good practice to prepare some cards before you go out to save time on the doorstep.

As with any appointments you make yourself adhere to the guidance in the Staying Safe booklet when entering homes.

Note: Requests for help will take priority over follow-up visits unless otherwise stated by your coordinator.

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PLANNING & PREPARING YOUR ROUTE

Before you carry out your follow-up visits, you will need to plan the routes for each of your daily trips. You will need to organise these routes based on:

• the locations of the addresses that you have to visit within each ED in your workload (which you can find by looking at the list of addresses in your worksheets and checking their locations on your ED maps)

• the easiest routes between these EDs (which you can find by looking at the list of EDs in your workload and a local area map)

• the number of hours that your coordinator has told you to spend working in each of these EDs

• any field visit requests that have been arranged for you by your coordinator

The addresses on your worksheets will generally be listed in numerical order, but some addresses, such as any that have been found during previous weeks of the follow-up operation, will be listed out of order at the end of the list for the ED. In addition, the end of a street or one side of a street will sometimes be within a different ED, which may or may not be in your current workload. You may therefore find it useful to write the names of the streets that you need to visit on the ED divider page at the front of each ED to enable you to plan your routes more effectively.

Daily routes & visits

During phase one you will visit addresses in selected EDs, spending time in each ED as directed by your coordinator. During phase two you will visit a wider area. You will therefore need to plan your visits slightly differently for the two phases. You will need to visit all of the addresses in your workload as many times as possible until you collect a completed questionnaire or follow-up finishes.

Hint: You will need to take particular care when you are looking for addresses listed as number ‘13’, as sometimes there is no number ‘13’, instead the property numbered ‘11A’ or something similar.

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You will be contracted to work for either 37, 25 or 15 hours per week.

In order to maximise your chances of making contact with householders you will need to work the majority of your contracted hours in the late afternoons, evenings and at weekends, when people are more likely to be at home. Experience has shown that the best days of the week to make contact are Saturday and Sunday. Between Monday and Friday the best times to make contact are late afternoons and evenings when people are more likely to be at home. You will therefore normally be required to carry out your duties between the following times:

• 2.00 pm to 9.00 pm on Monday to Friday

• 10.00 am to 9.00 pm on Saturday

• 10.00 am to 9.00 pm on Sunday

However, there may be households that need to be visited in the morning, so you will need to be flexible in your working patterns to give you the best chance of making contact with these households. Your coordinator will advise you about when to visit each of the EDs in your follow-up workload, depending on the type of people that live there. For example, areas with a large working population should be visited in the evenings whereas pensioners are more likely to be at home during the day, but may not answer the door in the evening.

Timing your visits

You must leave a reasonable time between visits to the same address. If your first attempt at contact is not successful, subsequent attempts should be made:

• at different times of day

• on different days of the week

• at the weekend

For example, if you have visited once at 3.50 pm on a weekday and have not made contact then you should not call the next day at 4.00 pm, but should wait until 6.00 pm onwards or call at the weekend.

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sWorking areas

The actual EDs that you visit within your coordinator’s area will vary throughout your appointment and the days and hours per day that you need to work may also vary depending on the populations living in these areas. Your coordinator will therefore let you know the times that you should aim to visit specific EDs when they give you your new workloads.

Additionally if another coordinator’s area within the same local authority has particularly low return rates, you may be allocated to that coordinator for a period of time to try and increase the return rate in their area. If this happens your original coordinator will explain to you in detail what is going to happen and will continue to sign off your timesheets during this period.

Maps

Each week your coordinator will give you a map showing each ED in your follow-up workload. Depending on the type of area in which you work an ED can cover between 200 to 700 households it can also vary in size depending on whether the area is rural or urban.

ED boundaries generally follow natural and man-made features such as rivers, railway lines and streets. Your maps will provide important information for planning your route and you will need to study them carefully before you go out. They will give you a good idea of the areas and distances you are likely to cover.

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sPractical considerations

In addition to planning which addresses to visit during each trip you will need to think about practical considerations, such as:

• what supplies you need to take with you, taking into account the length of your route and what you know about the areas that you will be visiting

• where you can park or access public transport

• where there are facilities such as toilets

• what the weather forecast is for the day so that you can wear suitable clothing

• when is the best time of day to visit different areas in order to maximise your chances of making contact with householders (see the previous Working Times section, page 34)

• whether it would be more appropriate to visit some areas during the day for health and safety reasons

You should refer to your Staying Safe booklet for further guidance when planning your route and considering health and safety.

Gaining access

You may work in an area where properties have access control, such as flats or gated estates. Your coordinator will be able to let you know if you are likely to come across these types of premises on your route and supply you with hints and tips on accessing them. If you come across access controlled premises that you still cannot gain access to, despite using the guidance provided to you by your coordinator, then you will need to let them know. They may be able to offer a solution for accessing the property.

In some cases you may be able to enter the reception area where there might be a concierge, security guard or gatekeeper. They will most likely want clarification as to your role and right of access. Your coordinator will be able to provide you with a letter to show in these situations.

Further help and guidance on gaining access to controlled premises is available on the staff website.

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s Checklist

Before leaving your home to start work, you must make sure that you have your ID card, your personal alarm, and all the other equipment that you will need inside your census bag. This includes:

• your follow-up workload folder – check that you have sufficient copies of the additional/replacement questionnaire sheets, new address sheets, refusal report forms and field visit sheets

• dummy forms

• spare household, household continuation and individual questionnaires and return envelopes

• spare information leaflets (IL1 or (IL2(W))

• phase 1 or 2 follow-up cards (ENM FL_01 or ENM FL_02)

• failed field visit cards (ENM FVC_01 and ENM FVC_01(W))

• language identification card (PUB GN_01 and PUB GN_01(W))

• printed letters for access-controlled premises, if necessary

• printed blank questionnaire returned letters, if necessary

(A full description of how to use each of these resources can be found in the Common Outcomes and Less Common Outcomes sections, pages 50 and 56.)

You will need to take enough spare supplies with you on each trip to give them out to any householders who need them. If you are running short of any items, you must advise your coordinator as soon as possible so that they can bring additional supplies along to your next meeting. If you travel by car, you can lock spares securely in the boot of your car, as long as they are out of sight of passers by. If not then you will need to pack them in your census bag. You must therefore make sure that you do not make your bag too heavy by carrying more spares than you need (see the Health and Safety section of the General Information for Field Staff).

IMPORTANT: You must carry your ID card with you at all times when on census duties. You must not work without this and must show it whenever you are talking to a member of the public.

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sBeing prepared

Before beginning your follow-up visits you must make sure you have read and familiarised yourself with all the information and resources available to you. These have been developed to help make your job easier.

Also make sure you have familiarised yourself with the resources available to the public, particularly via the online help centre and the census helpline, as this information is vital when assisting the public. (This information can be found in the Assistance and Accessibility section of the General Information for Field Staff.)

Most importantly make sure that you complete your own questionnaire before you go out. This will help you to understand the questionnaire and the information leaflet (IL1 or IL2(W)) that comes with it, so that you can answer any questions about it if asked. It will also mean that you don’t end up on anyone else’s follow-up workload!

(For further details of these resources see Annex A – Supplies, page 103.)

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s USING THE FOLLOW-UP WORKLOAD

Your follow-up workload is your main tool when working in the field. It will contain your follow-up worksheets (which list all addresses that you will need to visit each week, divided by ED) along with a range of useful information for you to refer to on the doorstep. You must record the outcome of every visit that you make on the corresponding address line for that household, whether you make contact or not, using the codes given in your follow-up workload.

Each time that you meet with your coordinator they will take your follow-up workload and update the questionnaire tracking system with the information that you have gathered. Once a week they will collect your old workload and the next day they will issue you with a new one.

IMPORTANT: While working in the field you must keep your follow-up workload secure and in your possession at all times due to the confidential nature of the information that it contains. While you are storing it at home it must be kept in a secure location which is out of sight and away from any risks of damage or theft (see Annex A - Supplies, page 103).

You should complete your paperwork clearly and legibly as it used by your coordinator to update records and you or another collector may need to refer to it at a later date.

IMPORTANT: Do not write anything about members of the public on your follow-up worksheets or other paperwork that may be considered unnecessary to your work, or that may be considered inappropriate or offensive, for example ‘grumpy old man’.

If your follow-up worksheet is lost or stolen and this information is released to the public, the reputation of the census could be damaged. A member of the public is also entitled to lodge a Freedom Of Information request at any time, and as such, could potentially ask to see any information recorded about them on follow-up worksheets.

Any statements written should therefore be factual only.

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sThe follow-up workload is structured as follows:

Front page

This page will contain your coordinator ID, your name, a list of the EDs contained within the workload and the date that the workload was issued and is due to be returned. This front page will be replaced by your coordinator when each new workload is issued to you.

Information pages

These pages are a quick reference guide:

• The first page contains the common definitions of households, communal establishments, second residences and so on. You will need to be familiar with these definitions when working in the field

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• The second page contains details of the remove address codes and contact outcome codes that you will need to use in columns C and D of your follow-up worksheets. These codes cover all of the various situations you may come across during your visits

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sSection 1

These are your follow-up worksheets. They list all of the addresses that you will need to visit, divided by ED.

These pages are designed to allow you to record the outcomes of each visit that you make, using option codes, number boxes and a notes section to allow you to record free text. You will need to fill in the column C top section and column D after every visit, whether contact is made or not.

If more than one questionnaire is outstanding at a single address, for example a household questionnaire and a household continuation questionnaire, then the address will be repeated on consecutive lines of the worksheet, with the type of questionnaire that is outstanding noted in column A of each line.

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sColumn A – Pre-printed with address and questionnaire information, including:

• the barcode for the address (for use by your coordinator)

• a code in the top left corner indicating the questionnaire type to be followed up:

� H1, H2, H2(W) – household

� HC1, HC2, HC2(W) – household continuation

� I1, I2, I2(W) – individual

• an 11 or 12 digit Enumeration District Record Number (EDRN) for the address, consisting of:

� the eight digit ED code

� a sequence number for the address within the ED (either three or four digits long). These numbers will be in sequential order, but some numbers will be missing as these are the codes for the addresses that have returned their questionnaire

Column B – Pre-printed with the address to be followed-up, including:

• the house number or name

• the street name

• the postcode

Column C – This column contains two parts to be filled in:

• Top section – number boxes where you must fill in the date and time of every visit

• Bottom section – Codes for you to use if you need to remove address from the follow-up workload because it does not need to be visited again. If you decide that an address should be removed you must circle the appropriate letter in this column and also add an X in column D. If not then you must leave this section blank

� D - Derelict / demolished property

� NR - Non residential property

� CE - Communal establishment

� CF - Can’t find

� R - Refusal

� DUP - Duplicate address

Note: If you are recording a soft refusal you will still circle the code R, but will not add an X in column D

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s Column D – Contact outcome codes for you to record the outcome of the visit. You must write in the appropriate code as part of your record of every visit

� P - Questionnaire posted by householder / completed online

� W - Will post questionnaire soon / will do online

� 4- Questionnaire collected by census collector and either posted or retained to hand over to a coordinator

� N - No contact made

� Q - Replacement, additional or new questionnaire(s) issued

� X - No further visits to be made. One of the options in the bottom section of column C has been selected and circled

Column E – ‘Notes’ column for any comments relating to the visit that cannot be coded using the options in columns C and D, such as the name of the person that you have spoken to and the number of people in the household for use in the dummy form. This column includes:

• a box in the top left corner which will contain specific information known about the address:

� Blank – blank questionnaire previously received from address, (see the Less Common Outcomes section, page 56)

� Refusal – soft refusal encountered during a previous visit, (see Refusal Reports section, page 96)

• boxes on the right hand side where you must circle the reason for any single new questionnaire that you issue, so that your coordinator can link this to the address:

� RQ – original questionnaire replaced due to loss or damage

� AQ – additional household continuation or individual questionnaire issued or dummy form completed

Column F – Blank box to accommodate the new barcode from any single replacement or additional questionnaire issued or dummy form completed (if more than one new questionnaire is issued this must be noted in column E and the additional barcode stickers added to section 2, see below)

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sSection 2

These are spare pages where you can stick the self adhesive barcode stickers if you issue more than one replacement or additional questionnaire to an address, or when you complete a dummy form for it as well as issuing one or more questionnaires. This is because section 1 has room for only one barcode. These pages contain:

• EDRN column – Contains two sets of boxes which you must use to record the original 11 or 12 digit EDRN for the address (made up of the ED code and sequence number of the address within the ED) from column A of section 1 for cross referencing purposes:

� Top row (8 boxes) – This is for you to record the 8 digit ED code for the address

� Bottom row (4 boxes) – This is for you to record the sequence number of the address within the ED. This will either be 3 or 4 digits long and will be listed after the ED code

• Extra questionnaire identifier columns – Blank boxes to accommodate the new barcode from each replacement or additional questionnaire issued or dummy form completed

• Additional or replacement questionnaire columns – Boxes where you must circle the reason for each new questionnaire that you issue, so that your coordinator can link these to the address:

� RQ – original questionnaire replaced

� AQ – additional household continuation or individual questionnaire issued or dummy form completed

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s Section 3

These are spare pages where you can record details of any new households that you find that have never received a census questionnaire:

• ED code column – This is for you to record the 8 digit ED code that you think applies to the address, based on the ED codes of neighbouring properties

• New address details column – This is for you to record the address of the property

• Date and time of contact column – Number boxes where you must fill in the date and time of your visit

• Questionnaire identifier columns – Blank boxes to attach the barcodes from each questionnaire that you issue to the new address, and for the dummy form that you will complete for it

• Refusal column – Boxes for you to record the contact outcome code R if you encounter a soft refusal or R and X if you encounter a definite refusal

Note: If you issue multiple questionnaires at a new address, or complete a dummy form for it, and therefore have more than two barcode stickers to locate, you must put these on successive lines of the page, with notes in the ED code column saying ‘See above’.

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sSection 4

This section contains:

• Refusal Report Guidance Notes – Guidance on filling out refusal reports

• Refusal Reports – A supply of spare blank refusal reports. You will need to keep a stock of these reports in your follow-up folder to use if you encounter a definite refusal. (Examples of refusal reports and guidance notes can be found in the Refusal Reports section, page 96.)

Section 5

These pages contain useful information including:

• Doorstep Routines – These are flow charts for common situations that you might encounter which show what you should do in each case (see Annex B – Doorstep routines, page 107)

• Field visits sheets – if required

• Hints and tips on entrance to access controlled properties*

• Letter to gain entry to access controlled properties*

• Blank questionnaire returned letter*

• Key messages about the census

• Examples of the uses of census data

• Frequently asked questions about the questionnaire

• Information on why specific questions are being asked

*supplied by your coordinator if required

IMPORTANT: You must handle your follow-up workload in accordance with ONS policies on security and confidentiality at all times due to the confidential nature of the information that it contains (see the Security and Confidentiality section of the General Information for Field Staff). You must also store it in a secure, clean and dry environment whilst it is in your care.

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s COMMON OUTCOMES

There are a number of different outcomes you will come across when visiting households. This section covers the most common ones you are likely to encounter, and how to update your follow-up worksheet based on each outcome. You’ll need to know the processes for these thoroughly. Less common situations follow in a later section.

Replacement questionnaire issued

If you make contact with a householder who says that they did not receive a questionnaire, or have lost or damaged their original one (or any additional ones that have been issued), then you will need to issue them with a replacement questionnaire of the same type.

When you issue a replacement questionnaire update your follow-up worksheet as follows:

1. record the date and time of your visit in column C

2. write Q in column D

3. circle RQ in column E

4. attach the self-adhesive barcode sticker to column F

IMPORTANT: If you issue a replacement questionnaire, you must indicate this by always circling RQ in column E of the follow-up worksheet.

(See routine 6 in Annex B - Doorstep Routines, page 107.)

(For detailed information on issuing replacement questionnaires refer to the Issuing Questionnaires section, page 81.)

0 9 0 4 1 9 0 0 Q

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sAdditional questionnaire issued

If you find out that a household has more than six residents or that had more than three visitors on census night, then you will need to issue a household continuation questionnaire. Additionally, if one or more individuals in a household do not want to share their details with each other, then you will need to issue one or more individual questionnaires.

When you issue an additional questionnaire update your follow-up worksheet as follows:



3. circle AQ in column E


5. if you issue more than one additional questionnaires attach the other bar code stickers in section 2, circling AQ for each one

IMPORTANT: If you issue an additional questionnaire, for instance a continuation questionnaire or individual questionnaire, you will circle AQ in column E of the follow-up worksheet.


(For detailed information on issuing additional questionnaires refer to the Issuing Questionnaires section, page 81.)

1 7 0 4 1 7 3 0 Q

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s Household has already returned their questionnaire

If the householder informs you that they have already completed their questionnaire and returned it by post or online, update your follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. write P in column D

Note: There is a delay of a couple of days from the time that a questionnaire is posted to the time that it is removed from the follow-up workload, so if a householder says that they have just posted their questionnaire this may be why it is still on your follow-up worksheet.

Note: If a householder fills in their questionnaire online they must click the ‘submit’ button once they have completed it or it will not be removed from the follow-up workload. So if a householder says that they did their questionnaire online a while ago you should therefore suggest that they should log on to it again and ensure that they clicked the ‘submit’ button.


0 7 0 4 1 8 1 0 P

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sHouseholder hands over a completed questionnaire

If the householder hands over their completed questionnaire to you, update your follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. write 4 in column D

You need to ensure the questionnaire envelope is sealed and post it in the nearest available post box as soon as possible.

If the householder specifically requests the questionnaire not be sent via the postal system, you will need to hand it to your coordinator at your next meeting. It is your responsibility to keep the questionnaire safe and secure until you hand it to your coordinator by storing it in a secure lockable box or container. In these cases you need to update your follow-up worksheet as normal, and record the householder’s request in the notes section in column E.


2 5 0 4 2 1 3 5

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s Householder will complete their questionnaire

If, as the result of your visit, a householder informs you that they intend to complete their questionnaire in the next few days, update your follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. write W in column D

3. include a note of the action taken in column E

(See routines 5 and 8 in Annex B - Doorstep Routines, page 107)

(For guidance on assisting households refer to the Getting a Return section, page 19.)

2 5 0 4 2 1 3 5 W

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sNo contact made

If you visit an address on your follow-up worksheet and cannot make contact, then you must leave a follow-up card advising the householder that you called and reminding them to complete and return their questionnaire.

During phase one, you must leave a Follow-up Card 1 (ENM FL_01), which will remind the householder to return their completed questionnaire and advise them that it is their statutory duty to do so.

During phase two you must leave a Follow-up Card 2 (ENM FL_02), which will contain stronger wording than Follow-up Card 1 and will advise the householder that they may face a fine if they do not comply.

Update the follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. write N in column D


Note: If you see someone return to an address you have just left, call back and try to make contact with the householder.

Note: When revisiting an address, make sure that you do so on a different day at a different time.

1 3 0 4 1 5 0 0 N

1 5 0 4 1 7 3 0 N

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s LESS COMMON OUTCOMES

There are a number of scenarios, not covered in the previous section, which you may encounter at addresses on your follow-up workload. These are detailed in this section. Depending on the type of area you’re working in, it is more likely that you will encounter some of these than others. For example collectors working in city centres may well encounter access control issues and second homes but are less likely to have to deal with holiday homes, while the reverse will be true for collectors in sea-side towns. Other scenarios may occur anywhere but are likely to be less common. Situations that you need to be particularly aware of in your area may be highlighted by your coordinator, or you may be aware of them from your own local knowledge.

Making contact with someone under 16 or a visitor

If you make contact with someone who it is not appropriate to speak to about the household’s census questionnaire, for example a young child or a visitor, you should always ask whether you can speak to an adult who lives at the address. If no-one is available, you must record details of what has happened on your follow-up worksheet.

You should also try to determine the best time to revisit the address to speak to the householder, and leave a phase one or phase two follow-up card (ENM FL_01 or ENM FL_02) to let the householder know that you called.

Update your follow-up worksheet as follows:



3. include a note of the issue in column E

1 9 0 4 1 4 2 5 N

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sHouseholders that have returned a blank questionnaire

You may come across an address on your follow-up workload from which the questionnaire has been returned blank. This will be shown by a printed comment ‘blank’ in the top left hand corner of the notes column E of your follow-up worksheet. You will need to attempt to deliver a replacement household questionnaire to the address.

You should attempt to make contact with the householder as normal:

• If you make contact you will need to try to find out why they returned their questionnaire blank:

� If the questionnaire was returned blank accidentally you should issue a replacement questionnaire

� If they returned their questionnaire blank because they did not want to participate in the census you will need to be prepared to use the strategies outlined in the Getting a Return section, page 19, to offer assistance, correct misunderstandings or counter reluctance

� If they confirm that their blank return was a refusal you should ask whether you can leave them with a replacement questionnaire anyway. If they will not take a questionnaire you should class this as a definite refusal and follow the normal refusal procedures (see the Refusal Reports section, page 96). If this happens you should inform your coordinator, who will post a replacement questionnaire to the address, along with a copy of the ‘blank questionnaire returned’ letter

• If you cannot make contact you should post a replacement questionnaire through the letterbox, along with a copy of the ‘blank questionnaire returned’ letter

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s Access controlled buildings

Your coordinator will provide information on properties in your ED where it is known gaining access could present difficulties.

Door and gate entry systems

If you encounter a building with a secure entry system and an intercom you should try the buzzer of the household that you need to speak to. If you are unable to make contact then you should ring each buzzer in turn until you find someone who is at home. You will often find that you can persuade that person to let you into the building, although they may want you to show them your ID card before you visit other households on the site. Once you have entered the building you can attempt to call on those households listed on your follow-up workload.

If you are not able to gain entry, despite all of your attempts and using the hints and tips in your Guide to Accessing Controlled Premises, then you should try returning at a different time on a different day. If you continue to be unable to access the property you must discuss this with your coordinator.

Entry controlled by staff

If you enter a property with a reception or lobby that is manned by a concierge, doorkeeper or security guard you should explain who you are and why you are calling. Explain that you need to speak to some households in the building about their 2011 Census questionnaires. Always show your ID card. If the person objects, you should try to persuade them to let you have access by giving them further information about the census or by offering them an information leaflet (IL1 or IL2(W)). A letter is available from your coordinator that you can show to security staff and this may help you to gain entry. Ask your coordinator if you require this letter. If access is still refused, you must discuss this with your coordinator.

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sIf you cannot access a property to visit a household update the follow-up worksheet as follows:




Households within/above business premises

If you cannot find any access to residential accommodation that is above business premises, then you should re-visit the address during business hours. It is likely that someone who works there will be able to give you advice on how to gain access and when the householder may be home.

If you still cannot find out how to access the property, you must record this in the notes column of your follow-up worksheet and inform your coordinator, who may be able to give you tips on accessing the property and will also post a follow-up card (ENM FL_01 or ENM FL_02) to the address.





0 7 0 4 1 8 4 0 N

1 0 0 4 2 0 3 0 N

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s New addresses

There may be occasions when you are approached by a householder, living in an ED that you are visiting, who has not received a questionnaire and whose address does not appear on your follow-up worksheet.

If this happens update Section 3 of your follow-up workload as follows:

1. on a new line, write the 8 digit ED code that you think applies to the address (based on the EDs of neighbouring properties) in column A

2. write the full address of the property, including the postcode, in column B

3. record the date and time of the contact in column C

4. issue a new household questionnaire to the householder and attach the barcode sticker to column D

If you need to issue any additional questionnaires or complete a dummy form for the address stick these barcode stickers in successive lines of column F, with notes in the ED code column for the line saying ‘See above’.

If the householder refuses to participate in the census record this refusal in the normal way in the boxes in column E. You should add an R for a soft refusal or R and X for a definite refusal.

Note: For new addresses you should follow the normal dummy form procedures, filling in a dummy form if you have found the address during phase two or if you receive a definite refusal from the householder.

(For detailed information on issuing questionnaires refer to the Issuing Questionnaires section, page 81.)

129 Eastern LaneLiverpoolL9 4QT

3 O U H F E 1 6 3 0 04 1 9 5 0129 Eastern LaneLiverpoolL9 4QT

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sSub-divided properties

You may come across a property that has been sub-divided but is shown as one property on your follow-up workload. For instance 15 High Street has been converted into four flats whose addresses are now Flat 1, 15 High Street, Flat 2, 15 High Street and so on.

If this happens you will need to:

• mark the original address on the follow-up worksheet as ‘can’t find’ so that it can be deactivated

• enter each of the flats as a new addresses in section 3

• issue new household questionnaires to each of the households

• attach each of the bar code stickers to the corresponding row of section 3 of your follow-up workload



2. circle CF in column C

3. write X in column D

4. include a note of the action taken in column E

5. on a new line, write the 8 digit ED code for the address (from section 1) in column A

6. write the full address of the property, including the postcode, (from section 1) in column B


8. attach the barcode sticker from the new household questionnaire issued to column D

9. repeat steps 5 to 8 until you have recorded all of the new addresses at the property on successive lines

Update Section 3 of your follow-up workload for each new address as follows:

1 2 0 4 1 7 3 5 x

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s

Note: If you are in any doubt about how many households exist or you have queries about the number of questionnaires that need to be issued then you should talk to your coordinator.

Note: The front page of the original questionnaire, containing the internet access code and bar code, should be disposed of. The rest can then be recycled.

Multi-occupied properties

You may come across a property that is occupied by multiple households but is listed as just one address on your follow-up workload. An example of this would be finding more than one student household behind one front door, with individual students who share a kitchen but whose eating and living areas are their own rooms. In these cases the household definition available in your follow-up workload folder will help you to determine how many households exist (see Annex D – Definitions, page 135).

If you find a multi-occupied property you will need to:

• make sure that one household completes the original questionnaire sent to the address

• ensure that each of the other households has their own household questionnaire

• issue household continuation and individual questionnaires as required

• record all of the questionnaires issued as additional questionnaires associated with the original address

1 B U B G 2 0 2 1 1 0 4 2 0 2 0129 EASTERN LANELIVERPOOLL9 4QT

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sUpdate your follow-up worksheet as follows:




4. attach the self-adhesive bar code sticker of one of the additional questionnaires to column F

5. on a new line, write the 11 or 12 digit EDRN code for the address (from section 1) in column A

6. attach the bar code sticker(s) (two can be attached per line) to columns B (and D)

7. circle AQ in column(s) C (and E)

8. repeat steps 5 to 7 until you have added all of the additional bar code stickers on successive lines

Update Section 2 of your follow-up workload for the other additional questionnaires issued as follows:

Note: If you are in any doubt about how many households exist or you have queries about the number of questionnaires that need to be issued then you should talk to your coordinator.

1 8 0 4 1 6 0 0 Q

O O B 4 F A O 2

1 9 8

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s Vacant properties

If your follow-up workload includes a property which is clearly vacant, you will need to do the following:

• You must complete a dummy form for the address (see the Dummy Forms section, page 88), whether you are visiting during phase one or phase two. You must record the number of usual residents as zero in this case

• You must fill in the appropriate sections of your follow-up worksheet. This will mean that no further follow-up visits will be made, so you must be sure that you are correct before taking this action




3. write ‘Vacant’, make a note of the evidence and write ‘dummy form issued’ in column E


5. complete a dummy form and stick the barcode sticker in column F

You must highlight this address on your follow-up worksheet and bring it to the attention of your coordinator at your next meeting. If your coordinator agrees with your judgement then the address will be removed from the follow-up worksheet and no further visits will take place. If your coordinator does not agree with your judgement then the property will stay on the follow-up worksheet and visits will need to continue.

3 0 0 4 1 5 0 5 N

Vacant, ‘to let’ sign in garden - dummy form issued

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sIf you are not certain that an address is vacant then you should leave the address on the follow-up worksheet, and should not complete a dummy form during phase one. This will mean that follow-up visits to the address will continue and a dummy form will be completed during phase two.

Note: Indications that a property is vacant could include post piled up, no curtains in the windows or a for sale/to let sign.

If you make contact with someone at a vacant address, such as a builder, then you should ask them for the details that you need to complete the dummy form regarding the structure of the building.

Note: You may come across an empty building where there are no indications that it is currently being converted or renovated. If the floors, the staircase, the entrance door(s) or the roof are partly or completely missing then it is probably derelict and should be noted as such on the follow-up worksheet (see the Properties that are Derelict or Demolished instructions later in this section, page 73). However you should never assume that a boarded-up property is derelict, as this may be a precaution against vandalism or squatters during temporary vacancy. Such accommodation should be treated as vacant and recorded as such. The key factor is whether it is habitable and, if you are unsure, you should discuss this with your coordinator.

If you believe that there may be squatters at a vacant property you should discuss what to do with your coordinator.

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s Second residences and holiday homes

If your follow-up workload includes an address that you are sure is a second residence or holiday home, then you should follow the same procedures as at a vacant property:

• You must complete a dummy form for the address (see the Dummy Forms section, page 88), whether you are visiting during phase one or phase two. You must record the number of usual residents as zero in this case

• You must fill in the appropriate sections of your follow-up worksheet. This will mean that no further follow-up visits will be made, so you must be sure that you are correct before taking this action




3. write ‘Holiday Home’ or ‘Second Residence’, make a note of the evidence and write ‘dummy form issued’ in column E



You must highlight this address on your follow-up worksheet and bring it to the attention of your coordinator at your next meeting. If your coordinator agrees with your judgement then the address will be removed from the follow-up worksheet and no further visits will take place. If your coordinator does not agree with your judgement then the property will stay on the follow-up worksheet and visits will continue.

If you are not certain that an address is a second residence or holiday home then you should leave the address on the follow-up worksheet, and should not complete a dummy form during phase one. This will mean that follow-up visits to the address will continue and a dummy form will be completed during phase two.

2 5 0 4 1 8 5 5 NSecond residence, told by neighbour - dummy form issued

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sIf someone is present at a second residence or holiday home

If someone is present at an address that they say is their second residence or holiday home then you should tell them to complete the household questions (H7 to H11) on the questionnaire for the address. If they were present on census night they should also record themselves as a visitor at the address by answering the visitor questions (V1 to V4). They should still complete the full questionnaire delivered to their main address, as that is their usual residence.

You must still complete a dummy form under these circumstances, whether you are visiting during phase one or phase two, and must still record the number of usual residents as zero. However you should not write ‘Holiday Home’ or ‘Second Residence’ in column E and highlight the address to your coordinator. This is because visits should continue as long as there is someone present at the address and the questionnaire has not been returned.

Depending the outcome of your conversation with the householder you should record the correct outcome code in column D (see the Common Outcomes section, page 50, and the relevant less common outcomes in this section).

If you return to the address and it is unoccupied you should then record it as a ‘Holiday Home’ or ‘Second Residence’ in column E and highlight it to your coordinator, who will remove it from the follow-up workload at that point.

Householders with a second residence or holiday home

If you make contact with a householder who mentions that they have a second residence or holiday home elsewhere in England or Wales, in addition to their main residence, you should find out whether anyone was resident there on census night and whether they completed the questionnaire sent to that address. If so, they should have completed the household questions (H7 to H11) on the questionnaire and recorded themselves as a visitor by answering the visitor questions (V1 to V4). They should still have recorded themselves as a usual resident at their main address.

If nobody was present at the address on census night they should have completed the household questions (H7 to H11) on the questionnaire only the next time that they visited the address.

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s If this has not happened, and nobody will be visiting the address before the end of the follow-up operation, the householder can use the online help centre or the census helpline to request a replacement questionnaire for this second residence to be posted to their main address.

When this is received, they can complete the household questions (H7 to H11) on the questionnaire. The front page of the original questionnaire delivered to the second residence or holiday home, containing the internet access code and bar code, should be disposed of. The rest can then be recycled.

Note: If their second address is outside of England and Wales, there will not be questionnaire for the address and no action is required.

Householders who have moved into a new address after census day

If someone has moved into a house after census day (on or after 28 March 2011) you will need to ask them to confirm where they were on census day and whether they have completed the questionnaire for their previous address.

If they did not complete a questionnaire for their previous address then you will need to instruct them to use the online help centre or the census helpline to request a replacement questionnaire for their previous address to be posted to their new address. When this is received, they must complete the questionnaire in full for their old address.

For the current address you should follow the same procedures as at a vacant property:

• You must complete a dummy form for the address (see the Dummy Forms section, page 88), whether you are visiting during phase one or phase two. In this case you should ask the householder whether they know the number of usual residents who lived at the address previously. If they do not then you should try to determine the number of usual residents using the information sources described in the Dummy forms section. You should record the reason for completing the dummy form as ‘absent household’

• You must fill in the appropriate sections of your follow-up worksheet. This will mean that no further follow-up attempts will be made to the property

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sUpdate your follow-up worksheet as follows:



3. write ‘Household that has moved in after census day’ and ‘dummy form issued’ in column E



You must highlight this address on your follow-up worksheet and bring them to the attention of your coordinator at your next meeting. If your coordinator agrees with your judgement then the address will be removed from the follow-up worksheet and no further visits will take place. If your coordinator does not agree with your judgement then the property will stay on the follow-up worksheet and visits will continue.

2 1 0 4 2 1 1 5 N

Household has moved in after census day - dummy form issued

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s Communal establishments

If you come across a property on your follow-up worksheet that is an establishment providing managed residential accommodation, such as a residential care home, this is known as a communal establishment.

If you find a communal establishment you will need to:

• record it as a communal establishment

• note the address and get a contact name and telephone number where possible

• pass these details to your coordinator who will ask a local special enumerator to then make further contact


• record the date and time of your visit in column C

• circle CE in column C

• write X in column D

(Detailed definitions for communal establishments can be found in Annex D - Definitions, page 135, and in your follow-up workload.)

You must however make sure that there is no household accommodation at the address, for example a caretaker’s residence in the grounds. If there is any household accommodation then you must still record the main property as a communal establishment, but should also create a new address for the caretaker’s residence and issue them with a new household questionnaire (see the previous New Addresses section, page 60).

0 3 0 5 1 5 1 5Mr John Pattinson(manager) - redidential care home07799 213456

x

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sSmall guest houses and B&Bs

Large hotels and guest houses are defined as communal establishments and will be enumerated by special enumerators. However you should be aware that small guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments with nine or fewer bed spaces are treated as normal households. In these instances the proprietor should record the details of their household (family members and any other permanent residents living at the address) on a household questionnaire.

The proprietor should also include the details of up to three visitors staying at the property on census night by completing the visitor questions (V1 to V4) on their household questionnaire and if necessary record three more visitors at a time on household continuation questionnaires. Alternatively if there were more than three visitors on census night then the proprietor may prefer to complete their questionnaire online, where they can add as many as 30 usual residents and nine visitors.

If you have to visit a small guest house or B&B then you should therefore promote online completion as a first option. However you should also issue the proprietor with as many continuation questionnaires as they need (they can record up to three additional visitors per continuation questionnaire).

(For detailed information on issuing additional questionnaires refer to the Issuing Questionnaires section, page 81.)

Refuges or shelters

As the locations of women’s and men’s refuges will not always be known to ONS, they will be treated like a normal households and sent household questionnaires via the post. However, ONS are working with local authorities to contact all refuges prior to census day to advise them of what questionnaires they will need to fill in and how they should do this, for example by filling in their questionnaire online or requesting continuation questionnaires and filling them in and returning them before follow-up starts.

It is possible that you may come across a refuge or shelter while carrying out your follow-up visits. In these cases it is unlikely that anyone will answer the door but, if you do make contact, you should attempt where possible to obtain a contact name and telephone number of the manager or a responsible person. You must then pass on these details to your coordinator as soon as possible, who will be responsible for contacting the refuge and making further arrangements with them.

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s Caravans and houseboats

Caravan sites (static and mobile) and marinas will be enumerated by special enumerators. However, within your area you may come across houseboats that appear to be permanently moored but are not in a marina, or caravans that are permanently parked but are not on a caravan site. If these have individual post-boxes for mail delivery then they should have been previously identified during the address check process and will appear on your follow-up worksheet if they have not returned their questionnaire. These should be dealt with as regular households.

If you come across a houseboat or caravan that does not have a post box and does not appear to be in a permanent location you should try and make contact to find out if the occupants are holidaymakers or are resident in the boat or caravan. If they are resident, and have not been sent a questionnaire, you must try to persuade them to complete a questionnaire while you wait or arrange to come back to collect it later that day. The normal household definitions on residency will apply.

Update Section 3 of your follow-up workload as follows:

1. on a new line, write the 8 digit ED code that you think applies to the address (based on the EDs of local properties) in column A



4. issue a new household questionnaire to the householder and attach the barcode sticker to column D

3 5 U E G L 0 6 0 8 0 4 1 7 3 06A MYRTLE STREET,LIVERPOOLL8 5TA

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sProperties that are derelict or demolished

Where a property is no longer habitable, and is now derelict or has been demolished, you must record this on your follow-up worksheet so that the address can be removed from the follow-up workload by your coordinator.

If it is unclear whether a property is derelict or vacant, for example if it is structurally sound but the windows are boarded up, you should always check with your coordinator.

If the property is derelict update the follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. circle D in column C


2 3 0 4 1 6 1 0 x

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s Properties that are no longer residential

If you find a property that is clearly not residential, for example a shop or factory, then you should record that it is a non-residential property on your follow-up worksheet so that the address can be removed from the follow-up workload by your coordinator.

If the property is no longer residential update the follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. circle NR in column C


You must however make sure that there is no household accommodation at the address, for example a flat over a shop or a caretaker’s residence at a factory. If there is any household accommodation then you must still record the main property as non residential, but should also create a new address for the flat or caretaker’s residence and issue them with a new household questionnaire (see the previous New Addresses section, page 60).

1 1 0 4 1 5 2 5 x

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sDuplicate addresses

It is possible that certain addresses may have been recorded twice during the creation of the address list. This is most likely to occur in the case of flats and apartment blocks. For example on one source list a property might have been recorded as ‘Flat 1, 23 High St’ and on another it might have been listed as ‘Basement Flat, 23 High Street’. It is therefore possible that two questionnaires will have been sent to this address by post. If the householder completes and returns one of the questionnaires, the other will remain on the follow-up workload and will be subject to a follow-up visit.

If you think you have come across a duplicate address update your follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. circle DUP in column C


Note: The front page of the other questionnaire delivered to the address, with the internet access code and bar code should be disposed of. The rest can then be recycled.

1 1 0 4 2 0 0 5 xMrs Peters has received two questionnaires - the one for ‘Flat 1, High Street’ has been returned - this one has been destroyed.

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s Properties that are not accessible

If you visit a property that is not accessible due to a short term obstruction, such as road works or a loose dog, then you should make a note of this and revisit the property again when you think you may be able to gain access.

If you think you will be able to gain access at a later date update the follow-up worksheet as follows:



3. record the information on accessing the property in column E

Note: If it is clear that it will not be possible to access the property before the end of the follow-up operation you must record the reason that you cannot gain access on the follow-up worksheet and discuss this with your coordinator, who will post a letter or follow-up card (ENM FL_01 or ENM FL_02) to the address.

1 6 0 4 1 9 2 5 N

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sGarden Annexes

Your follow-up worksheet may include an address which begins with ‘Annex to the rear of…’.

If you have to visit an annex you will need to be aware that, in many cases, you will not be able to access it directly without going into a back garden. You should not attempt to do this, but should instead make contact at the main address to ask about the annex. Only try to contact the annex directly if the entrance is accessible from the street or the front of the property.

It is possible that an annex may not have received planning permission and the householder may be reluctant to admit there is anyone living in the accommodation. The presence of items such curtains or double glazing may suggest the annex is in fact being used.

If the householder tells you that the annex is not residential and insists that this is the case accept what they tell you and walk away. If you still think that there is residential accommodation in the annex, you should do the following:

• record the address as ‘can’t find’ on your follow-up worksheet

• fill in a dummy form for the address





4. write ‘dummy form issued’ in column E



2 8 0 4 1 5 5 0 x

dummy form issued

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s Complete a dummy form for the address using the following codes:

• DH1 reason for completing – non return/non-contact

• DH2 accommodation type – a caravan or other mobile or temporary structure

• DH3 Estimated no. of usual residents – unless you have clear evidence on which to make an informed estimation, leave this question blank

• DH4 Self contained – assume yes

• DH5 Information source – field staff (or could be other reliable source)

If you are certain that the annex is actually non residential, update the follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. circle NR in column C


If the householder does confirm that the annex is residential, ask them to tell you the best way to collect a questionnaire from it. Then treat as you would any other residential address that you visit.

2 9 0 4 1 6 2 5 x

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sFinding new annexes

If you follow-up a residential address and notice an annex in the grounds, you should always check with the householder at the main address as to whether it is inhabited. If the householder tells you that it is, you should ask to speak to the residents so that you can establish whether they have already been included on a census questionnaire.

If you think a new annex you’ve identified is residential, but the householder informs you it is not, you should follow the instructions above on completing a dummy form for an annex.

If this happens you will need to record the annex as a new address in Section 3 of your follow-up workload as follows:

1. on a new line, write the 8 digit ED code that you think applies to the address (based on the EDs of neighbouring properties) in column A



4. attach the barcode sticker from a new household questionnaire to column D

In this case the questionnaire will not be issued to the household. You should therefore strike through the front page of the questionnaire and hand it to your coordinator.

1 B U B G 2 0 2 1 1 0 4 2 0 2 0129 EASTERN LANELIVERPOOLL9 4QT

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s Addresses that cannot be found

Where you cannot find an address on your list you must record this on your follow-up worksheet. In these cases your coordinator may visit the address to carry out additional checks on site before removing the address from the follow-up workload if necessary.

If you cannot find a property update the follow-up worksheet as follows:




1 5 0 4 1 9 4 0 x

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ISSUING QUESTIONNAIRES

It is important that you carry out the correct process when issuing a questionnaire. Failure to do so can lead to errors in the follow-up process and potentially cause unnecessary work. This section therefore describes the process of issuing replacement, additional and new questionnaires (discussed in the Common Outcomes and Less Common Outcomes sections, pages 50 and 56) in more detail.

The questionnaires that you issue differ from the questionnaire posted to each household. Every questionnaire that you issue will have an individual barcode printed on the front if it. Beneath this printed barcode there is a self-adhesive sticker on which there is a matching barcode. Whenever you issue a questionnaire you must always remove this sticker and attach it to the appropriate line of the follow-up worksheet. Your coordinator will use this barcode to link the questionnaire to the address.

When you issue any questionnaire you must write the full address of the household that you are issuing it to in the address box on the right hand side of the front cover. (You must use black pen and not pencil.) This means that the questionnaire can still be matched to the address at the processing centre even if the barcode sticker becomes detached from the follow-up worksheet so that it cannot be scanned.

When writing an address you will need to use commas to separate each line of the address. For example “1 THE HIGH STREET, BOURNEMOUTH, DORSET”. This will make it easier to match these addresses automatically when the questionnaires are scanned.

Note: You do not need to write anything on the envelope of the questionnaire.

Using questionnaires & forms

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In Wales, both Welsh and English language versions of the questionnaires are available. If issuing a householder with a household, household continuation or individual questionnaire you must offer them either the English or the Welsh language version. The householder can opt to receive both if required, but only needs to complete one. The blank questionnaire can disposed of as below.

Note: Under the Welsh language act people living in Wales have the right to choose to speak to a census person in their own language (see the Types of Questionnaire section of the General Information for Field Staff).

Disposal of damaged and unused questionnaires

You should advise the householder that in the case of damaged or unused questionnaires, the front cover, containing the internet access code and bar code, should be detached and disposed of safely (for example by shredding it). The rest of the questionnaire can then be recycled. The main reason for unused questionnaires will be due to householders completing their questionnaire online.

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rmsIssuing replacement questionnaires

As described in the Common Outcomes section, page 50, if you make contact with a householder who says that they have lost or damaged their original questionnaire, or any additional questionnaires that they have been issued, you will need to issue them with a replacement questionnaire of the same type.

When you issue a replacement questionnaire update your follow-up worksheet as follows:



3. circle RQ in column E


IMPORTANT: If a householder says that their questionnaire has been lost or damaged and you issue a replacement questionnaire you must always indicate this by circling RQ in column E of the follow-up worksheet.

Failure to do this could result in the replacement questionnaire being linked to the address as an additional questionnaire in error, in which case both the original and the replacement questionnaire will be followed up. Even if the householder completes and returns the replacement questionnaire, the original will continue to appear on the follow-up worksheet. Therefore follow-up visits will continue which may antagonise the householder and bring into question the confidentiality of their data.

2 6 0 4 1 1 5 5 Q

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Ensure you always circle RQ on the worksheet when issuing a replacement questionnaire.

house number or house

name and post code entered,

separated by commas

1 5 , P A D D I N G T O N ,S T R E E T , S O M EW H E R E

C L 1 5 1 J R

Peel off barcode

and stick in follow-up worksheet column F

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sIssuing additional questionnaires

If you find out that a household has more than six residents or had more than three visitors on census night then you will need to issue them with a household continuation questionnaire. Alternatively if one or more individuals in a household do not want to share their details with each other then you will need to issue one or more individual questionnaires.

When you issue an additional questionnaire update your follow-up worksheet as follows:





IMPORTANT: If you issue any additional questionnaires, for instance a household continuation questionnaire, individual questionnaires or another household questionnaire (if there is more than one household at an address) you must always indicate this by circling AQ in column E of the follow-up worksheet. These questionnaires will be linked to the address and if they are not completed and returned they will all appear on the next follow-up worksheet.

Note: There is only space for one additional barcode sticker on the corresponding address line in Section 1 of the follow-up workload. If you have to issue more than one replacement or additional questionnaire to an address you will therefore have to use the pages in Section 2, further on in the workload. In column A of section 2 you should record the enumeration district record number (EDRN) and unique ID code for the address from the first column of the original address line in Section 1. You must than attach the barcode sticker(s) in the second and fourth column(s) of Section 2. (See the Using The Follow-up Workload section, page 40.)

0 6 0 4 1 7 4 0 Q

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s Cover of the household continuation questionnaire HC1 once issued:

Ensure you always circle AQ on the worksheet when issuing an additional household continuation questionnaire.

Peel off barcode


Insert house

number or house

name and post code, separated

by commas


C L 1 5 1 J R

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sCover of the individual questionnaire I1 once issued:

Ensure you always circle AQ on the worksheet when issuing an additional individual questionnaire.

Insert house

number or house


by commas

Peel off barcode



C L 1 5 1 J R

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s DUMMY FORMS

Dummy forms explained

To enable accurate results to be produced from the census it is important to account for every address to which a census questionnaire has been issued.

Ideally, this means the return of completed questionnaires from all occupied households and information on why certain properties are not occupied, for instance they are vacant or a second residence or holiday home.

In practice, not all occupied households will return their questionnaire, so it is crucial to be able to distinguish between these households and those that are genuinely empty. The information captured by you on dummy forms will help ensure an accurate estimate of the number of people missed by the census and therefore the overall population.

The dummy form is a simple one page form which records basic information about an address. You use a dummy form when you have been unable to collect a questionnaire or are unlikely to collect a questionnaire from an address, as well as for all habitable properties where a household is not present. These completed dummy forms will help provide information about every property in the country, and help ensure an accurate estimate of the population.

It is essential that either a completed questionnaire or dummy form is obtained for every active address. You will only complete one dummy form for an address. The procedures for using dummy forms must be carried out correctly.

If a household returns their questionnaire after a dummy form has been completed for the address then the information contained in their questionnaire will overwrite the data collected on the dummy form.

As a collector you will be the best placed person to complete dummy forms for the addresses in your area, as you will visit these properties in person and will be able to gather the most accurate information possible about them.

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sIf you are able to give an estimate of the number of people within the household then this will help to determine how many people have not been included in the census. However, this information is only useful if it can be estimated with confidence (for instance you have made contact with a number of householders at the same type of property in the same street and determined the number of residents at each). Where an estimate cannot be made with confidence, then it is better to leave the estimated number of usual residents section of the dummy form blank.

If, after you have completed a dummy form, the address still appears on subsequent follow-up worksheets you will still need to continue to visit the address in case you are able to make contact with the householder and collect a completed questionnaire. However you will not need to complete another dummy form for the address if you still do not get a response.

Note: There are exceptions to this:

• For households where a definite refusal has been encountered and a dummy form completed, the address will be removed from the follow-up worksheet immediately and no further visits will be made. (For more information see the Refusal Reports section, page 96.)

• If the address is vacant or was vacant on census day, is a holiday home or second residence, or the current householder moved in after census day, then you will complete a dummy form and make a note on your follow-up worksheet. However your coordinator will discuss each of these situations with you at your next meeting. They will remove the addresses of households that have moved in after census day and decide whether to remove vacant or unoccupied properties from the follow-up worksheets, or whether visits should continue

You will be able to check if you have already completed a dummy form for a property by looking at your notes about the address in column E of the follow-up worksheet. However, you will not be able to check notes written in previous week’s follow-up worksheets. Instead your coordinator will give you a report listing all of the addresses for which a dummy form has been completed every time that they issue you with a new follow-up workload. You can either clip this report into your follow-up folder to refer to or use it to add notes on your follow-up worksheets.

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s When to complete a dummy form

The two phases of follow-up dictate when to use a dummy form:

Phase 1: 6 to 19 April

During phase one of the follow-up operation you will need to complete a dummy form if:

• you can positively identify that a property is a vacant property, a second residence or a holiday home, or the householder has moved in after census day. If the householder has moved in after census day ask them for the information as at census day. No further follow-up visits may be needed under these circumstances

• you encounter a definite refusal. No further follow-up visits will be made under these circumstances

Phase 2: 20 April to 6 May

During phase two you should complete a dummy form if:

• you fail to collect a questionnaire from a household and where a dummy form has not previously been completed, whether you make contact or not (even if the householder tells you that they have posted their questionnaire or completed it online)

• you encounter a definite refusal (no further follow-up visits will be made under these circumstances)

Every address which has a questionnaire outstanding will be visited during phase two of the follow-up process. This will ensure that a dummy form is completed for every address that does not return their questionnaire.

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sHow to complete a dummy form

You will only be using the dummy forms for households. Whenever you fill in a dummy form you must therefore complete the household questions (DH1 to DH5) only. You must also update your follow-up worksheet whenever you complete a dummy form.

Note: You should complete the dummy form straight after your visit, but not while you are still with the householder if you have made contact.

Collecting information

Completing dummy forms will often require you to make assessments about the addresses you visit in order to obtain suitable information. This information can be collected from various sources, and you should prioritise these in the following order:

1. information supplied by the householder if you speak to them. During any conversation with them you should ask how many residents usually live at the address. This is crucial information for the dummy form

2. your observations

3. information offered by neighbours

4. your best guess – based on observations and other information

Recording information

The information that you need to record will be:

DH1 - The reason for completing the dummy form (for example second residence, non-contact, refusal)

Note: If you are completing a dummy form because you have not been able to make contact at an address, or you have made contact but were not able to collect a questionnaire, you will need to tick the non-return/non-contact option for question DH1, unless you have found out that the property is a second residence or a holiday home.

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DH3 - An estimate of the number of usual residents living at the address

• If you are confident of your estimate then enter a number in this section. This must be written as a whole number, for instance 04 rather than a range of numbers, such as 3-4

• If you can be sure that the property is vacant or was vacant on census day, or is a holiday home or second residence, then you should record zero usual residents

• If you cannot make an informed estimation, then leave this section blank

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sDH4 - Whether the accommodation is self-contained

DH5 - The source of the information

(An example of a completed dummy form can be found on page 95.)

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s UPDATING THE FOLLOW-UP WORKSHEET

When you complete a dummy form, update the follow-up worksheet as follows:



3. record the dummy form as an additional questionnaire by circling AQ in column E


Note: If you have already issued a replacement or additional questionnaire against the address then you will need to attach the dummy form barcode to section 2 of your follow-up worksheet and fill in the EDRN from section 1 so that it can be linked to the original address (see the Using the Follow-up Workload section, page 40, on the layout of the follow-up workload).

You must return all of the dummy forms that you have completed to your coordinator each time that you meet with them. Your coordinator will check your follow-up worksheets to ensure that you have completed a dummy form for every non-responding address.

IMPORTANT: As with all other census documentation completed dummy forms must be handled in accordance with ONS policies on security and confidentiality at all times in the same way as completed questionnaires (see section Security and Confidentiality section of the General Information for Field Staff).

2 2 0 4 1 8 0 0

dummy form issued

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sCover of the individual questionnaire I1 once issued:

Ensure you always circle AQ on the worksheet when issuing an additional individual questionnaire.

Insert house

number or house


by commas

1 5 , P A D D I N G T O N ,

C L 1 5 1 J R

Refer to definitions and tick appropiate

box

Tick appropiate

box

S T R E E T , S O M EW H E R E

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Refer to definitions

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box here

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numbers only, for

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and NOT ranges, i.e. 2-3

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Understanding refusals

During your visits you are likely to come across some householders who are reluctant to participate in the census. If you speak to a householder who is reluctant you should try to find out why. You should:

• offer to help them complete their questionnaire

• encourage them to participate, either through informing them about the benefits of census or by addressing any concerns that they may have

• stress that completing the census is a legal obligation

(See the Getting a Return section, page 19.)

However, if all of your attempts at assistance and encouragement fail and you are unable to get them to commit to completing their questionnaire then this is considered to be a refusal. There are three types of refusal.


Types of refusal

‘Soft’ refusals

A ‘soft’ refusal is a refusal where you are unable to persuade the householder to commit to completing their questionnaire, but in your judgement, it may be possible to persuade them to participate at another time. Examples of a ‘soft’ refusal would be calling at what appears to be an inconvenient time when the householder refuses to talk to you or speaking to a householder who appears to be in a negative mood for an unrelated reason. You should assume that all refusals are ‘soft’ unless the householder makes it clear that they are definitely refusing.

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sRecording a ‘soft’ refusal

If you encounter a ‘soft’ refusal then you should update your follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. circle R in column C

3. record the reason for the refusal in column E

The address will remain on the follow-up worksheet and you should re-visit it at what you think may be a more convenient time or at a time requested by the householder. It will feature on future follow-up worksheets with a printed note in column E saying ‘Refusal’. This will inform any collector who visits the household again during another week that a ‘soft’ refusal has been encountered at the address on a previous occasion.

1 1 0 4 2 0 5 0

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s DEFINITE REFUSALS

Straightforward – Class A

A ‘straightforward’ refusal is a refusal where, despite your attempts to overcome their reluctance, the householder has stated that they definitely have no intention of completing their questionnaire. This category covers everything from polite refusal to threatening behaviour.

When encountering this type of refusal you should inform the householder that it is compulsory to complete a questionnaire, highlighting that they could be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000 if they not do so.

Please be aware of your own safety at all times as people could become aggressive. Always withdraw if you feel unsafe in any situation. If the situation is confrontational please enter all the facts on a refusal report.

With mitigation – Class B

You may also encounter a refusal ‘with mitigation’. This is a refusal with mitigating circumstances such as illness, old age with perhaps Alzheimer’s so that they do not understand the situation, or if an individual is recently bereaved.

There are however, certain exclusions to this category. Circumstances such as age itself, visual impairments or language problems do not count as mitigating reasons for refusal. This is because there is help available for these situations, such as large print questionnaires and Braille booklets for the visually impaired and translation booklets for those with language barriers.

It is important that any mitigating information is recorded as completely and accurately as possible on your refusal report.

IMPORTANT: You must take care to ensure that particular people are not classified based on their group but on their individual actions. For instance not all elderly people should be considered as a refusal with mitigation.

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sRecording a definite refusal

If you encounter a definite refusal you must update your follow-up worksheet as follows:


2. circle R in column C


4. fill in a refusal report




This address will be removed from the follow-up worksheet and will not be visited by a collector again.

IMPORTANT: You will also need to complete a dummy form for any address where you have encountered a definite refusal. This will record basic information about the household which can be used to create realistic estimates about the address (see the Dummy Forms section, page 88).

0 1 0 5 1 9 3 5

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s Completing refusal reports

For definite refusals you must complete a refusal report. This is a record of the visit that you have made to the property and your observations of what took place. You will be expected to give a brief description of the person you spoke to and obtain their name where possible. This information may be used as evidence in a prosecution case, so it is important that it is completed factually and accurately.

Section 4 of your follow-up workload contains a guidance sheet for completing refusal reports, as well as a supply of blank refusal reports for you to fill in.

You must put all completed refusal reports in a plastic wallet at the back of your follow-up folder. You must cover these reports with a blank piece of paper covering them so they are not visible to the public. You should then hand them to your coordinator at your next meeting so that they can carry out a quality check on them, sign the declaration on the back, remove the addresses from future follow-up workloads and send the reports to the census non-compliance unit for further action.

An example of a refusal report and how to fill it in can be seen on page 101. It is vital that this is completed accurately and legibly and that you keep all of your notes simple and concise.

IMPORTANT: As refusal reports contain personal information you must handle them in accordance with ONS policies on security and confidentiality at all times in the same way as completed questionnaires (see section Security and Confidentiality section of the General Information for Field Staff).

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YOUR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Your equipment will comprise of:

• Clear rigid ID card, holder and lanyard

• High visibility vest

• Personal alarm with torch

• Census bag

• Clipboard

• Pens and pencils

• Highlighter pen

• Telephone contact card

• Holder for telephone contact card

Your supplies will comprise of:

• Follow-up workload (in a binder) – including follow-up worksheets and refusal reports

• Field visit sheets – if necessary

• Maps

• Language identification card (PUB GN_01 and PUB GN_01(W))

• Phase 1 and phase 2 follow-up cards (ENM FL_01 or ENM FL_02)

• Failed field visit cards (ENM FVC_01 and ENM FVC_01(W))

• Dummy forms – D1

• Spare unaddressed questionnaire packs – H1, H2, H2(W), HC1, HC2, HC2(W), and I1, I2, I2(W)

Supplies

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lies Your additional information will comprise of:

• Guide to accessing controlled premises*

• Letter to gain entry to access controlled premises*

• Blank questionnaire returned letter *

*available from your coordinator

The Census Field Staff Handbook – this contains information regarding key messages about the census, examples of the uses of census data, frequently asked questions about the questionnaire and information on why specific questions are being asked. It also gives tips on how to use this information to promote the census to members of the public. Some of this information is reproduced in the information section of your follow-up workload.

The Effective Communication Guide – this will help you with your interaction with the public. It gives you hints and tips on good communication and how to interact with members of the public with specific communication needs, for example people with a disability such as physical disability, a sensory disability (such as sight or hearing), a learning disability, a mental health problem or a hidden disability (such as epilepsy or diabetes) and those whose first language is not English.

The Staying Safe booklet – this gives you guidance on general health and safety issues which you will need to know when carrying out your job. It includes specific guidance on visiting and entering households, accessing premises, travelling and reporting any issues and incidents.

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liesStorage and handling:

You will need to provide adequate space to store your supplies both safely and securely during the time that they are in your care. This storage space must be secure and located in a clean and dry environment that cannot be accessed by others and is out of sight of passers by. (For more details on storing your supplies see the Security and Confidentiality section of the General Information for Field Staff.)

You must read the manual handling section of your Staying Safe booklet before carrying or lifting your supplies. You must also ensure that you store and stack your supplies in such a way that they cannot fall and be damaged or cause injury to you or others.

IMPORTANT: All follow-up worksheets, questionnaires and dummy forms, whether completed or blank, must be handled in accordance with ONS policies on security and confidentiality at all times (see the Security and Confidentiality section of the General Information for Field Staff). You must also store them in a secure, clean and dry environment whilst in your care. All completed documents must be passed to your coordinator as required and without delay.

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Contents2 Welcome to the census

3 Your role during the census

4 Assist How much help do you give?

5 Persuade What is the census and why do we have one?

6 Who uses census information?

8 Key messages

10 Getting the numbers right

Census questions - why we ask them

14 Persist Frequently asked doorstep questions

18 Top tips for the job

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Welcome to the censusThe census will tell us how many people live in England and Wales. This is fundamental to understanding who we are and how we live. The census is the basis for numbers that you hear or read which refer to our population, for example our increasing but ageing population, or the differences in lifestyles between the north and south, and urban and rural areas of the country. More than this, the census is the best source of local information. If you want to know how many people live in your neighbourhood, what the average age is or even how many working mums or part-time dads there are, you can look it up in the census results (although you’ll never be able to work out who a particular person is).

While this booklet has been written primarily to help collectors persuade householders to complete their questionnaires, the information is relevant to all fi eld staff. So whatever your role in this vitally important event - collector, special enumerator, survey staff - read on to understand more about the 2011 Census and what it means for everyone in England and Wales.

Always remember, your enthusiasm, smile and understanding are the strongest tools you have. Use them wisely.

This booklet doesn’t have information about which questionnaires to use, or what you need to do in various circumstances. That information is contained in your main instructions and manuals.

2

hhave iinfform tatiion baboutt hwhiichh questitionnaiires t to use, or in various circumstances. That information is contained

iions and manuals.

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COLLECT ASSIST PERSUADE PERSIST

Your role during the census

Collect Your role is to collect questionnaires from households who haven’t sent theirs back or completed the census online.

Assist You should offer to assist the householder with their questionnaire, by explaining how to complete it online, or how to post it back, answering any questions they might have and helping them to complete it if they are unable to do so themselves. Or you should provide them with a replacement questionnaire if they need one.

Persuade You should keep calling back and offering guidance and assistance until you have a questionnaire, or until they are removed from your list (as they’ve posted it back or completed online).

Persist If a person says ‘I forgot’ or offers excuses, keep trying to collect a questionnaire. It is only when you get an outright refusal that you complete a refusal report and pass it to your coordinator.

And something you should remember throughout:

Ask how many people live in the house so you can tell them how long it will take them to complete their questionnaire (and you may need to hand out a continuation questionnaire). It takes about ten minutes for one adult, much less for children (about 30 minutes for a family of four). You can also use this information for your dummy form if the household fails to complete a census questionnaire.

But – and please note this – many of the households that you visit will simply not have done it. They’ll have received the questionnaire, stuck it on the kitchen counter or on the table in the hall, and completely forgotten. It’s not that they don’t want to or that they have a deep-seated issue. It’s that they’ve just not got around to it. By visiting them you will propel them into action. As simple as that.

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Assist: How much help do you give?

If someone asks for your help in physically completing the questionnaire, assist them. Other people may want reassurance or a gentle nudge to get on with it. Some people may be embarrassed to ask for help, for example they might have diffi culty reading, or understanding English. Use your judgement about why they have not completed their census questionnaire and offer solutions accordingly.

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Persuade: If you understand the census and what it is used for, you will be able to reassure people if they have concerns.

What is the census and why do we have one?

The census collects information about the population. The census counts us, tells us how many people are male or female, how many of us are 70, how many of us are 12. How many people have cars and drive to work, how many of us rent our homes and how many own them and many, many other characteristics about our population.

It’s about everybody in England and Wales. The census takes a snapshot of us all – you, the postman, your favourite celebrity, your brother, your sister, your children, your parents, even the Queen. Census statistics provide accurate details about the population which means that, when decisions are made, they are based on facts about the population. And it’s unique as it provides detailed information about small areas.

The census also provides a snapshot of our housing – how many rooms we have, how we heat our houses and how many of us own or rent our homes.

The census is a questionnaire. Everyone’s answers to questions are kept confi dential. Their answers get turned into numbers, like the total number of teenagers in Newcastle or how many single men there are in Cornwall over the age of 50. Those numbers are anonymised by statisticians; this means when the results are published no individual’s details can be identifi ed.

You’ll hear the census results being used all the time. Except you may not have realised it. Listen for statistics on the radio that talk about the population, like the number of unpaid carers looking after family members, or the percentage of people who are white, or the number of households who have more than one car. When statistics talk about the population, it’s likely that the census has been used.

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Who uses census information?

All sorts of organisations – from special interest groups to emergency services – use census data. Understanding the population in an area, like the number of people and their characteristics (like age, sex and ethnicity), means that all sorts of things happen.

• The Peak District National Park Authority uses census data to improve the services offered to residents and to visitors to the national park (such as providing more recreation facilities or activities)

• Like the London Fire Brigade, other fi re brigades across the country use census statistics to allocate resources (such as fi re-fi ghters and fi re engines) and to plan home fi re safety visits

• Changes in population can be the difference between whether a small village’s only Post Offi ce, pub or shop stays open. Population statistics help communities to continue to thrive – offering crucial evidence to back-up grant applications

Businesses use census statistics to make informed decisions about their customers and what they need – which means more convenience for you.

• Supermarkets, like Sainsbury, plan car parking spaces by looking at how many customers are likely to drive to a store. Based on the population characteristics, many stores work out what to stock in each branch for their local customers and even where to locate premises

• All sorts of businesses build models based on census statistics. One of these predicts travel patterns in the West Midlands. This shows the effect that making a city centre pedestrian would have on traffi c fl ows

• Utilities companies, like Yorkshire Water, base long term pipe planning for clean and wastewater facilities on census statistics by looking at the number of people in an area

Local authorities use census statistics. They look at how many people are in their area so that they can plan all sorts of services and facilities for the future – which may mean a better standard of living for you.

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• Where the census shows a lot of pre-school children in a boom birth year, additional school places can be planned

• Some county councils, like Hampshire, have set up exercise classes and literacy lessons on school premises (for adults) because of understanding the local population and its characteristics

• In Suffolk, census statistics were used to map out villages for a remote grocery service, to open shops in pubs and to develop existing shops and post offi ces into community hubs

Central government uses census statistics to share out funding which means a just share of the pot for your local services.

• There is a complicated equation which slices up the fi nancial pie to share out money for each area of the country. Census statistics are a major feed for the equation. It’s really important that everyone is counted in an area. Every person – no matter how old or young, where they come from, where they are going to, or how long they have been there – affects the share of money an area receives

• The Department of Transport uses census statistics to work out whether people can access local services within certain time limits such as GPs, hospitals and grocery shops

• Other departments have many uses for understanding the population, but remember, none of them have access to details about people. That’s all confi dential. All they can have is statistics

Genealogists use previous census returns for researching family trees. This means, after 100 years, your ancestors will be able to trace you.

• The public has an insatiable appetite for family history. When the 1911 census questionnaires were released online by the National Archive, they received a staggering 22 million hits within two days

• Shows like Who do you think you are? are watched by millions of people with celebrities like Moira Stewart, Stephen Fry, Davina McCall and David Tennant taking part

• Over the past 200 years, the census has made it possible for everybody to research their family trees, not just a handful of famous families

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Key messages

These are the most important things that you should tell people about completing the 2011 Census questionnaire.

It’s straightforwardCompleting the census is straightforward. Most questions can be answered by simply ticking – or clicking – in a box. It takes about ten minutes for each adult’s details to be added, much less for children.

The census was on Sunday 27 MarchThe answers need to be about Sunday 27 March, even if the questionnaire was completed before, on or after that day.

Everyone has to be included on a census questionnaireCompleted questionnaires have to be returned from every household, even though census day has passed. Because it is so important, everyone has to be included.

Help and support is available The census is straightforward. A census collector can help to complete it or people can use the online help centre (www.census.gov.uk) or call 0300 0201 101 (England) and 0300 0201 130 (Wales).

Send it back quickly to avoid being visited (again)The census questionnaire tracking system shows which addresses have returned their questionnaires. Get your questionnaire in the system by posting it back (or completing online). Census collectors should only visit the few who have not returned their questionnaires.

Census answers are confi dentialPersonal census information is never shared with anyone – including marketing companies or government departments, nationally, regionally or locally. The information is kept confi dential and protected by law.

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Returning the census questionnaire is required by lawCompleting the census is a legal requirement. The few people who don’t complete may be fi ned up to £1,000 and face a criminal record. Complete it online or post it back in the prepaid envelope.

The census is completely separate from governmentThe census is run by the Offi ce for National Statistics – an independent body which is separate from any other government department.

Personal information is protected at all stagesCensus data are protected by law and everyone working on the census signs a census confi dentiality undertaking to prove they understand that. It’s a criminal offence to disclose information. Personal census information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act under section 40 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. Layers of security protect personal information at every stage of the process and the Offi ce for National Statistics has a 200-year track record of keeping personal information safe.

Do it now – why put it off?It’s straightforward. It’s important. It’s in your community’s interest. It’s your right to be counted.

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Getting the numbers rightA census is a count of people and households on one day (27 March). It’s all about getting consistent and comparable statistics about the population and its characteristics at a national and a local level. But, the country didn’t stop for census day, people moved around on holiday, on business, travelling to work. Not everyone was at home on census night. So, in order for us to get the numbers right we put lots of checks in place to make sure that, when we add the numbers up, we’ve got people in the place where they normally live.

Census questions – why we ask themHere are some questions that people might have about census questions and answers you could use.

Why do you need to know who’s staying overnight with me?We ask for your visitor’s name, date of birth, address and whether they are male or female so we don’t count them twice. By knowing these basic details we can cross them off the overall number if they are counted somewhere else. That will happen in some cases as everyone has to complete a census questionnaire for their home address – even if they didn’t sleep there on census night. If someone was staying with you who lives in the UK, they will be on two census questionnaires – yours and their home one.

Why are you asking about the number of bedrooms I have?The information you provide shows if, and where, more housing needs to be thought about – especially in inner city areas. The number of bedrooms and the number of people who live in a household allows local councils to see whether accommodation is overcrowded. If, across an area, there are lots of households with a high number of people and a low number of bedrooms this shows overcrowding – without ever identifying any individuals or families – and affects potential planning decisions.

Why do you need to know if I stay at a second address / residence?

We want to make sure that we have counted people in the right place and that we are not including them twice in the overall population estimate.

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And, there is a big planning impact on areas which have lots of second residences in them like holiday homes, mid-week rentals for work and student accommodation. If people are in the area all the time or just during the week, or only at weekends, this will affect transport, health and other services that are provided, even refuse collection. We do not want to know how many properties you have, but we want to know if you stay at different addresses for more than 30 days a year.

Why do you need to know my marital status?This census is expected to show the most rapid and dramatic changes in society between any previous censuses. The traditional question on marital status (asked since 1851) has been updated to include civil partnerships so that people in same sex marriages can be accurately included. Everyone has the right to complete a census questionnaire and by adding this category people can accurately describe the way in which they live. This census statistic helps to show that people who are married live longer and shows where pressures will be put onto housing.

This question is also used to look at the characteristics of the population. So, for example, statistics about the percentage of couples getting married later in life or having children later in life are derived from census data. These are important as they help predict what our society will do next, which in turn means that decision makers can work out what is needed.

Why are there so many questions on employment?The information on employment provides a core package to understand who we are and what we do. It’s all about our characteristics and helps to track changes. By knowing what trends are occurring planners can, for example, look at land-use policies in an area, such as needing more space for offi ces and retail units and less for traditional industries.

Some businesses use census data to look at the characteristics of an area to see if they want to invest there. So this might be a manufacturing plant being built somewhere because the characteristics of that area show the best available workforce in the country. National and regional government may also provide different services depending on whether the local population is looking for work, like planning regeneration, training and investment.

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What’s all this about length of stay in the country?If you don’t know how long you’re going to stay, estimate. How long do you hope to stay? This question’s not about visas, and personal information is never shared with other government departments, but short-term UK residents may have different needs than the rest of the population, and local authorities use this information to help meet these.

What’s the difference between national identity and ethnicity?

Those are great questions aren’t they? That’s so we can all express who we feel we are, where we feel we belong, as our national identity. And we can express our ethnicity separately, which is the background we are descended from.

So, if your ancestors (or even your mum and dad) emigrated here, your ethnicity is probably where they are from, but your national identity is how you feel (you may choose English, or British or Welsh or whatever!). For some people the answer will be the same. An example might be a US citizen working here for a couple of years. Their national identity would be American and they would then tick an ethnicity box (white, mixed, Asian, black, other) and may also write in American.

Why do you need to know about my passport?In the past ten years more people from the European Union have been coming to live and work in the UK. The numbers from this question help to show how many people are here from other countries’ populations.

Closer to home, this question helps understand the numbers of people who are eligible to vote and, when that number is compared to the electoral role, how many of us are on – or missing from – the electoral register.

Why do you want to know about my religion?This is a voluntary question – do not fi ll it in if you don’t want to. This question counts groups who aren’t necessarily visible in ethnicity lists, such as Jews, Muslims and Buddhists.

Many people use this data, like supermarkets, to make sure they are stocking appropriate foods for their local customers.

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And here’s a question about the census’s future that you might be asked.

Is this the last census?It could be. The Offi ce for National Statistics has been looking at different ways of counting the population for many years. There are lots of different types of data sets available which could, theoretically, be pulled together to get some of the same statistics. But, currently, this census is the only quality way in which your needs, and those of your community, can be identifi ed. And yes, it’s still compulsory to complete your questionnaire.

It’s quite likely that you’ll not be asked all of these questions. You may never get asked any of them. You may be asked a question which you simply can’t answer. You may want to use the given answers to head-off concerns before someone raises them. Use your judgement to get the best responses you can from each household’s questionnaire.

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Persist: Don’t give up. Use all the information you have and try to get the householder to complete their questionnaire.

Frequently asked doorstep questions and answersThere are various reasons that someone might not have completed their questionnaire. Some people will simply need a gentle nudge to get it done and give it back to you. Others will need persuading. They may think that their details will be passed on to third parties like the local authority or marketing companies. They won’t.

Everyone becomes a number. No person’s details are ever shared. The prime minister could ask to see your questionnaire under Freedom of Information. But he won’t be allowed.

Some people may have lost their questionnaire. That’s not a problem. Give them a replacement and arrange a time to go back and collect it. Some people might be confused or try to wriggle out of completing theirs.

Here are a few examples of what they might say and what you could reply.

I never got oneI can give you another one. That’s odd though, as our questionnaire tracking system has your house number on it, I’ll get that updated and be back to collect this one in a couple of days if you haven’t already posted it. Can you do it now and I’ll come back in 20 minutes to collect it?

I was on holiday, shall I still do it?Yes. The census questionnaire has to be completed, even if you were out of the country on Sunday 27 March. It takes about ten minutes for each adult, much less for a child. I’ll come back later if you fi nish it now? I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

My partner’s away for a week, shall I still do it?Yes, absolutely. Include their details as well as yours. Can you fi nish it now? I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

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I just moved here, shall I still do it?I fi lled one out at my old address, shall I still do it?

Did you move in before Sunday 27 March? It’s all about that date.

Yes: If you moved in before Sunday, you need to complete it as we’re taking a snapshot of the country on that day. Can you fi nish it now; I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system?

No: If you moved in after Sunday 27, I need to complete a different questionnaire, can you help me, it’ll just take a minute? (Dummy form)

I was staying somewhere else and was on their questionnaire as a visitor, shall I still do it?

Yes. You still have to complete the questionnaire for your home address. The census counts people and households and their characteristics. You need to be counted where you live. It takes about ten minutes per person. Can you fi nish it now; I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system?

I fi lled it in at my main / family / permanent home, I stay here a few days a week, what do you want me to do with this one?

Great. You still need to complete the household section for this address. If someone else lives here all the time, they need to fi ll in their details. Any visitors who stayed here on Sunday 27 March need to be included. But if no one was here, tick the boxes to say that no one was here. If you fi nish it now I can take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system?

I fi lled it in at my second / other address / residence, I stay there a few days a week, what do you want me to do with this one?

You need to complete all of this questionnaire because this is where you usually live. It’s quite straightforward, can you fi nish it now? I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

I was in hospital, shall I still do it?Yes, if this is where you usually live. Can you fi nish it now? I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

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I just moved to the UK, shall I still do it?Yes. The census is all about England and Wales on Sunday 27 March. If you were here – and you’ll be in the UK for more than three months in total – you need to be included on a census questionnaire. Otherwise stick yourself on as a visitor. Let’s do it now, I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

I’m just here for a few weeks, shall I still do it?No. If you’re on a short break to the UK (less than three months) you do not need to complete the census questionnaire. But, whoever is responsible for paying the bills (like electricity or gas) at this address needs to complete the questionnaire. Is that person in right now?

I thought the landlord would do it, do I still need to?Yes. It is the responsibility of the people who live at an address to complete the census questionnaire, not the landlord. It takes about ten minutes per person. Let’s do it now, I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

Or, I can give you an individual questionnaire to complete right now. It’ll take you about ten minutes, then you’re done. Shall we do that?

This is a shared house – someone else has done itAre you sure? The questionnaire tracking system ticks off addresses which have completed and returned their census questionnaires. Yours hasn’t been ticked off yet. Maybe the person you’re thinking of has forgotten to post it. Why don’t you check and if not, I’ll help you complete it now, take it away with me and make sure that your address is ticked off the system?

I’m a lodger – do I have to do it?Yes – everyone has to be included on a census questionnaire. You can either be included on the main census questionnaire, or if you don’t want others to see your answers, you can fi ll in an individual questionnaire and give that back to me? Is the person who is responsible for paying the bills here? I need to speak to them about their questionnaire.

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I have already sent it back – have you lost my data?Okay. Our questionnaire tracking system is updated every couple of days, so it may be that yours hasn’t got into the system yet. We’re very careful at all stages of the process to make sure every questionnaire is well looked after. If you don’t get ticked off the system in the next couple of days, I’ll come back.

I fi lled it in on the internetThat’s great. It’s very easy to use isn’t it? Did you get the internet submission number? Our questionnaire tracking system is updated every couple of days, so yours obviously hasn’t been ticked off my list yet. Sorry to bother you.

I leave the country tomorrow; do I still need to do it?Yes. Everyone who normally lives in the UK has to be included on a questionnaire. It takes about ten minutes per person. Let’s do it now, I’ll take it away with me and get your address ticked off the system.

This is a holiday house that I’m renting for a weekOkay, I just need to complete another questionnaire (dummy form). The census collects information about all the housing as well as people. Thanks for your time.

I’m not doing itIn these instances, you can use all the techniques suggested in this booklet. If none of them work you will need to refer to the instructions in your follow-up book about what to do next (dummy form and non-compliance).

Some householders will have such specifi c and detailed questions about their individual circumstances that you’ll have to decide either to help them as best as you can – to get their questionnaire back – or refer them to online help www.census.gov.uk or to the census helplines (which are charged at a local rate). While the census needs a high standard of completed questionnaires, it understands that, in a few cases, you’ll need to use your judgement to get the most complete census questionnaire from each household.

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Top tips for the job . . .

Be very clear about what you are doing on the doorstep• tell the person who you are and that you are there to offer help and

assistance

• tell the person that you have come to collect their questionnaire

• tell them that you can help them to get it done now

• tell them that the questionnaire tracking system shows all the houses that have sent theirs back, and the few who haven’t

• close the deal by saying: if you fi nish it now I can take it away with me or come back in XX minutes

You need to have a confi dent opening line. You need to know what you are going to say. But it needs to be friendly!

Practice it.

Introduce yourself, but make sure that you’re offering help and assistance. DO NOT tell the householder – in your opening sentence – that you are there because they haven’t done something. This will put you on the wrong footing from the start. You are there to help them to do something.

Hello. I’m XXXXX from the census. I’m here to help you make sure that you are counted and represented in the census. You’re about to make a real difference to your community.

In these times, when every penny counts, the census is the best way to show where public money needs to be spent on services and facilities like schools and hospitals.

So I’ve come to collect your census questionnaire. Please may I have it?

The person may say they’ve lost it.

Are you sure? Maybe it’s tucked away somewhere, it’s in a big white envelope with a purple logo on it.

The person may say they never got one.

There’re a few people who’ve been missed on your road. That’s a pity as you’ve got less time to complete it but don’t worry; you’re defi nitely

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on the questionnaire tracking system now. How many of you live here? That’s only going to take you XX (ten minutes per person) to complete, I’ll be back to collect it XXX.

The person may say they’ve sent it back. If you think they may be mistaken – as in they tell you that they posted it more than two days ago – give them the opportunity to gracefully correct their mistake.

My apologies, but that’s odd because the questionnaire tracking system says we haven’t had one back from this house. Are you sure it wasn’t another survey? The census questionnaire is purple, it came in a white envelope with a big purple logo on it. Was it that one because if it wasn’t I don’t mind popping back in 20 minutes to collect it?

The person may have concerns. Listen carefully and reassure them, using the examples outlined in this booklet. But stay focused on what you want to achieve. Listen to their objections, summarise them and tell them the benefi ts.

Make the census relevant to the person you are talking toPractice the examples that the census is used for (and that you understand!) and that you feel comfortable with. Use those. If you have a couple of examples, you can switch them around depending on who you are talking to.

• a mum with kids may be more interested to know that playparks have been, and can be, funded because the census counts how many children there are locally

• an elderly gentleman might want to know about water pipes – refuse and clean water planning is based on the number of people who use facilities in an area

• a young professional might be interested to know that supermarkets use census data to work out what to have on their shelves; some chains stock specialist foods to appeal to the people who live in that area

• everyone will be interested to know that no individual can ever be identifi ed from census results

• talk about lots of other people who have completed and returned their questionnaires – so it’s inclusive and it is the majority who are returning theirs

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Make handing you a completed questionnaire benefi cial to the person you are talking to

• that’s fantastic, if you give it to me now I can post it back for you. You can go back to your evening

• super, if you let me have it you’ll be crossed off the questionnaire tracking system, you won’t have to see me again!

• I can help you to do it if you can fi nd it now?

• great, do it now and I’ll come back in 30 minutes to pick it up. That way, if you’re stuck, I can help you fi ll in the answers

Agree what is going to happen next

• you’re going to complete it now and I’ll be back in XX minutes to pick it up for you

• you’ll complete it online tonight (make sure you keep a record of the submission number). Great. You won’t need to see me again

• you’ll complete it and send it back. Pop it in the post quickly, otherwise you’ll see me again next week!

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INTRODUCTION

This is split into three areas:

• defining households and communal establishments

• defining where and how people should be counted

• definitions to help field staff complete the dummy form (D1)

DEFINING HOUSEHOLDS AND COMMUNAL ESTABLISHMENTS

Householder

The householder or joint householder is the person resident or present at the address who:

• owns / rents (or jointly owns/rents) the accommodation; and/or

• is responsible (or jointly responsible) for paying the household bills and expenses

Household

A household is:

• one person living alone; or

• a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room or sitting room or dining area

Inclusions:

• sheltered accommodation units in an establishment where 50 per cent or more have their own kitchens should be defined as households (irrespective of whether there are other communal facilities)

• all people living in caravans on any type of site that is their usual residence should be treated as households. This will include anyone who has no other usual residence elsewhere in the UK

Definitions

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A communal establishment is an establishment providing managed residential accommodation. ‘Managed’ in this context means full-time or part-time supervision of the accommodation.

Inclusions:

• sheltered accommodation units where fewer than 50 per cent of the units in the establishment have their own cooking facilities, or similar accommodation where elderly people have their own rooms, but the main meal is provided, should be defined as communal establishments

• hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and inns and pubs with residential accommodation with room for 10 or more guests should be defined as communal establishments

• all accommodation provided solely for students (during term-time) should be defined as communal. This should include university-owned cluster flats, houses and apartments located within student villages, and similar accommodation owned by a private company and provided solely for students

� a pragmatic approach will need to be taken with university-owned student houses that are difficult to identify and are not clearly located with other student residences. In this case, they should be counted as households

� houses rented to students by private landlords should be counted as households

Note: accommodation available only to students may include a small number of caretaking/maintenance staff or academic staff.

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onsResidents in communal establishments:

• residents in self-contained flats within the communal establishment should be counted as communal residents

• residents of communal establishments that reside in a totally separate building (for example a caretaker living in a house in the grounds of the communal establishment) should be counted as residents of a private household and not communal residents

• nurses’ accommodation on a hospital site: If the accommodation does not contain patients then the accommodation should be treated as a separate communal establishment from the hospital (and not categorised as a hospital). The nurses would be treated as ‘residents’ and not ‘resident staff’ or ‘patients’. This ensures consistency with similar nurses’ accommodation off the hospital site

• accommodation available only to nurses (and not to anybody else) should be defined as communal. This would include cluster flats and similar accommodation, provided solely for nurses

Residential properties

Most people live in houses, bungalows, maisonettes, purpose-built flats or tenements. These people are easy to identify and straightforward to count with only one household at each address. However, it is important to note that there will be exceptions. There may also be more than one household at an address.

Non-residential properties

Buildings that do not have any living accommodation are called non-residential properties. Some examples of these are shops, libraries, offices, schools, factories and warehouses. Census questionnaires do not need to be completed for these properties.

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ons DEFINING WHO AND WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD BE COUNTED

Population to be counted in the census

A full census return should be collected from all usual residents of the UK.

Usual resident of the UK

For the purposes of the census a usual resident of the UK is anyone who has stayed or intends to stay in the UK for three months or more.

They should complete a full census return for their usual place of residence in the UK. This means:

• if their usual residence is a household - completing a household questionnaire by including themselves in questions H1 to H3, H6 and H7 to H14 and completing a set of individual questions (they should also include any visitors they have in questions H5, H6)

• if their usual residence is a communal establishment - completing an individual questionnaire

Usual place of residence in the UK

A person’s place of usual residence is generally the address in the UK at which they spend the majority of time. For most people this will be their permanent or family home.

In addition to this, someone should still be counted as usually resident at an address if, on 27 March 2011:

• they are temporarily away from home e.g. on holiday, visiting friends or relatives or travelling (unless outside the UK for 12 months or more)

• they are in a communal establishment such as a care home, hospital or similar establishment for less than six months

• they are a baby born on or before 27 March 2011, even if still in hospital

• they are present at the address, even if temporarily and have no other usual address in the UK

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sPeople with more than one UK address:

• they should be included on the questionnaire for their permanent or family address, regardless of which address they were at on census night (see ‘People who live at more than one address’)

Someone should not be counted as usually resident at an address on 27 March 2011 if:

• the address at which they are staying is not their usual address and they usually live elsewhere in the UK (these people should be counted as visitors and complete a full census questionnaire when they return to their usual UK address)

• they are away from their home address and have been staying or are expecting to stay in a communal establishment such as a care home or hospital for six months or more (they will be counted as usually resident at the communal establishment)

Important: further help on some of these groups is also given on page 31 of the household questionnaire.

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Armed Forces personnel should be counted as usually resident at their permanent or family home even if the majority of their time is spent at their ‘working’ address. This ensures they are included on the same questionnaire as their family.

Notes:

• if a member of the armed forces does not have a permanent or family address at which they are usually resident, they should be recorded as usually resident at their base address

• if the permanent (stationed) base is abroad, e.g. Germany or Cyprus, then the armed forces member will not be included in the census

• if they are on deployment on operations, e.g. Iraq or Afghanistan then the armed forces member should be included at permanent or family address regardless of the length of deployment

• armed forces personnel from overseas forces, e.g. USA, based in the UK for three months or longer should be counted as usually resident in the UK at their UK permanent or family home/base address

• someone serving on a ship outside UK waters on 27 March 2011, these personnel should be counted as usually resident at their family/permanent home or Home Port/Naval Base address if they do not have a family/permanent home (as per those serving, for example in Iraq or Afghanistan)

• someone serving on a ship inside UK waters on 27 March 2011, these personnel should be counted as usually resident at their family/permanent home or resident on the ship if they do not have a family/permanent home

Children with parents who live apart

Children who are ‘shared’ between parents living apart should be counted as usually resident at the address at which the child spends the majority of their time.

If the child lives equally between parents then the child should be counted as usually resident at the address where they are staying overnight on 27 March 2011.

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sPeople living in communal establishments

If a person has already spent or expects to spend six months or more in a communal establishment e.g. care home, hospital, hostel etc then their usual residence is that communal establishment. Otherwise usual residence would be at the UK home address and the person should be classified as a visitor at the communal establishment.

Any UK resident who is staying in a communal establishment on 27 March 2011 and has no usual address in the UK should be counted as usually resident at the communal establishment (regardless of how long they have stayed or intend to stay there).

People from outside the UK who intend to stay in the UK for three months or more in total and do not have another address at which they usually live in the UK should be included as a usual resident at that communal establishment. If they intend to stay in the UK for less than three months in total they should be counted as a visitor in the communal establishment.

People in prison

Sentenced prisoners should apply the definition in the same way as others in communal establishments, based upon the length of their sentence i.e. if they are convicted with a sentence of six months or more then they should be counted as usually resident in the prison. If they have been convicted and are in prison awaiting sentencing, then they should be counted as usually resident in the prison. If their sentence is less than six months then they should be counted as usually resident at their permanent or family home.

Prisoners on remand should be treated as visitors irrespective of how long they have been in prison on remand (see section 2.4.4 on visitors). Thus, their usual residence will normally be their permanent or family home.

In either case, if the person has no other usual UK address they should be counted as usually resident at the prison.

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s People with no usual address

A resident of the UK with no usual address should be counted as a usual resident at the address, whether a household or communal establishment, they are staying at on 27 March 2011.

People who live at more than one address

People with more than one UK address e.g. people who work away from home and other people who have two or more addresses should be included as usually resident at their permanent or family home even if the majority of time is spent at another UK address.

For example, consider a person who works in Manchester and has a flat there where they spend four nights a week. They spend the rest of the week and weekends in Wales at their family home. They should count their family home as their usual residence so that they are included with their family. On the questionnaire for their family home (Wales) they should be included in questions H1 to H3 and H6 and complete a set of individual questions. For the questionnaire at their second address (Manchester), they only need to complete the household questions (H1 to H11).

Note: people who spend time at a second address outside the UK should also be counted as usually resident at their permanent/family address in the UK but only if they intend to remain outside the UK for less than 12 months in total (except armed forces deployed on operations – see ‘armed forces’).

Students

Students, and children at boarding school, should be counted as usually resident at their term-time address.

They should also be counted as usually resident at their permanent/family address (if different), but only limited information will be collected.

Visitors

A domestic visitor is a usual resident of the UK staying overnight at a UK address on 27 March 2011 at which they are not usually resident.

An international visitor is a person who intends to stay in the UK for less than three months. They are usually resident outside the UK.

Both of these types of visitors should be recorded as visitors on the questionnaire for the address where they are staying on 27 March 2011.

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sDEFINITIONS FOR COMPLETING THE DUMMY FORM (D1)

Household space

A household space is the accommodation occupied by an individual household or, if unoccupied, available for an individual household.

Second residence

A second residence is a property which is used solely as a second address. It is not used for any other residential purpose, e.g. a holiday home owned by an individual for private holiday use.

Holiday accommodation

Holiday accommodation is a property that is let to different occupiers for holiday, e.g. a self-catering flat. It is not used for any other purpose and is not anybody’s second residence.

Vacant households

A vacant household is an unoccupied household space that is not:

• anyone’s usual residence

• a second residence

• a holiday home

Further clarification:

• all household spaces defined as vacant will be unoccupied on 27 March 2011, but not all unoccupied household spaces will be defined as vacant (they might be holiday accommodation or second residences)

• a household space where only visitors are staying on 27 March 2011 should not be regarded as vacant

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Enumerate Count for a censusEnumerator Person employed to count for a censusEnumeration District Lowest geographical area for enumeration

purposesED Enumeration DistrictEDRN Enumeration District Record NumberID IdentificationONS Office for National Statistics

Glossary

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Introduction

The questionnaires for the 2011 Census will be posted out during the week commencing 7 March 2011, twenty days before census day on 27 March 2011 and thirty days before the main follow-up operation begins on 6 April 2011. The census helpline be operating during this time so that members of the public can request a visit from a member of census field staff should they need assistance with completing their questionnaire.

Coordinators will respond to field visit requests before early collectors start on 23 March 2011, after which early collectors will carry out all field visit requests between 23 March and 5 April.

Your role

You will be employed as an early census collector for two weeks from 23 March 2011 to 5 April 2011. After this you will join the main follow-up operation as a census collector.

Your role during this period is to:

• respond to requests for assistance from members of the public

• investigate census questionnaires that the Royal Mail have not been able to deliver

• assist your census coordinator with other general census related tasks

Follow-up workload

Your follow-up workload folder will differ slightly from the one you will use in the main follow up operation (see the Using The Follow-up Workload section on page 40):

• Section 1 – the follow-up worksheets will be replaced by spreadsheet QT964, which will list addresses where census questionnaires were undelivered

• Section 2 – the replacement and additional questionnaires sheets will be replaced by field visit sheets (ENM FL16)

Early Census Collectors instructions

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ions FIELD VISIT REQUESTS

One of your main responsibilities will be to visit householders who have called the census helpline to ask for assistance with completing their questionnaire. Full details of how to carry out and record field visits are given in the Field Visit Requests section, page 29, and information on how to assist householders is given in the Getting a Return section, page 19.

You will have to record the outcomes of your visits, including details of any replacement or additional questionnaires that you issue, on field visit sheets (ENM FL16).

Note: Requests for help will take priority over other duties unless otherwise stated by your coordinator.

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ionsINVESTIGATING UNDELIVERED CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRES

The Royal Mail will be responsible for delivering all of the household questionnaires for the 2011 Census. They will return any questionnaires that they have not been able to deliver to the census processing centre, where they will be receipted as undelivered.

Reasons that questionnaires may be undelivered could include:

• addresses that could not be found

• access problems at properties

• questionnaires which have been put back into a post box and marked “return to sender”

When you start work your coordinator will generate a report (QT964), which will be in the form of a spreadsheet that lists all of the addresses where a questionnaire was receipted as undelivered. This report does not show the reason for individual non-deliveries.

Your coordinator will prioritise this list and will discuss with you how much time to spend working through it. You will need to check as many of the addresses listed as possible in the time given to you in order to find out why these questionnaires could not be delivered or were returned to sender.

During your visits you will need to confirm whether each address on your list is a current household residence or not. If it is a household residence you must try to deliver a replacement questionnaire to it.

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ions You will need to record details of each of your visits either on the

undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) or on a field visit sheet (see Field Visit Requests section, page 29), using the outcome codes listed at the front of your follow-up workload.

Outcomes where no further action needs to be taken

Does not exist

If the address does not exist, you will need to record this on the undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) as follows:

1. update the end column with the code CF

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nsDerelict or demolished

If the property is either derelict or demolished, you will need to record this on the undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) as follows:

1. update the end column with the code D

Note: If you are unsure whether a property is derelict or not refer to the descriptions in Annex D - Definitions, page 135, to establish this. If in doubt you must assume that the property is vacant and try to deliver a replacement questionnaire in case the property becomes occupied before the end of the follow-up operation (see the Residential and Accessible but no Contact Made instructions later in this section, page 152).

Non-residential

If the property is not residential, for example it is a shop, factory or communal establishment, you will need to record this on the undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) as follows:

1. update the end column with the code NR

Residential but not accessible

If the property does appear to be a current household residence but there is no access to it and no alternative letter-box where the questionnaire could be left, you will need to record this on the undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) as follows:

1. update the end column with a comment explaining why you could not deliver a questionnaire, such as ‘Not accessible due to barrier’ or ‘No access and no letter box’

Duplicate questionnaire received

If you make contact with a householder whose says that they have received a duplicate questionnaire you will need to record this on the undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) as follows:

1. update the end column with the code DUP and the comment ‘Duplicate questionnaires received at property, questionnaire for address [insert address] being used’

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ns Outcomes where questionnaires need to be issued

Residential and accessible but no contact made

If you cannot make contact at a residential property you must post a replacement questionnaire pack through the letter box.

You will need to record this on a field visit sheet as follows:

1. write the 8 digit ED code for the address in column A

2. write the full address of the property, including the postcode, in column A


4. write a note explaining that you were unable to make contact in the bottom half of column C


6. attach the self-adhesive barcode sticker to column E

7. circle RQ in column F

If the property appears to be vacant, you will need to make a note of this in column C of your field visit sheet. However you will still need to deliver a questionnaire in case someone moves in before the end of the follow-up operation.

3 5 U G L L 0 66A MYRTLE STREET,LIVERPOOLL8 STA01234 567890

2 5 0 3 1 5 4 0 Q

No-one at home

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nsResidential and accessible contact made

If you make contact with a householder you will need to find whether they did not receive a questionnaire, or received one but posted it back as ‘return to sender’. If they say that they posted their questionnaire back you will need to try to find out why.

No questionnaire received

If the householder says that they have not received a questionnaire then you must issue them with a replacement household questionnaire.





4. write a note explaining that no questionnaire was received in the bottom half of column C




If the householder requires any additional household continuation or individual questionnaires then you must stick the self-adhesive barcode stickers for these to column E of successive lines of the field visit sheet, circle AQ in column F of each line, and write notes in column A of each line saying ‘See above’.

3 0 U H F E 1 6129 EASTERN LANE LIVERPOOLL9 4QT09876 543210

0 2 0 4 1 1 3 5 Q

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ns Questionnaire returned because of misunderstanding

The householder may say that they posted their questionnaire back because they did not think that it applied to them, for example because:

• they are staying at their second residence

• they have just moved in

In these circumstances you must issue them with a replacement household questionnaire and explain to them that they must still fill in the relevant sections of it (see Annex D – Definitions, page 135, and the Second Residences and Holiday Homes and Households That Have Moved to a New Address After Census Day instructions in the Less Common Outcomes section, page 56).





4. write a note explaining why the questionnaire was returned in the bottom half of column C




If the householder requires any household continuation or individual questionnaires then you must stick the self-adhesive barcode stickers for these to column E of successive lines of the field visit sheet, circle AQ in column F of each line, and write notes in column A of each line saying ‘See above’.

3 1 0 3 1 7 1 0 Q3 0 U H F E 1 6

129 EASTERN LANE LIVERPOOLL9 4QT09876 543210

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nsQuestionnaire returned because address incorrect

The householder may say that the address on the questionnaire was incorrect, for instance they live in part of a sub-divided or multi-occupied property.

Sub-divided property

If they live in part of a sub-divided property you will need to:

• record that the original address no longer exists on your undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) so that it can be deactivated

• record each of the new addresses at the property in Section 3

• issue new household questionnaires to each of the new addresses at the property

• issue any additional household continuation and individual questionnaires in Section 3 as required

You will need to record that the original address no longer exists on the undelivered questionnaires spreadsheet (QT964) as follows:

1. update the end column with the code CF and the comment ‘Sub-divided property’

You will then need to record each of the new addresses at the property in Section 3 as follows:

2. on a new line, write the 8 digit ED code for the original address in column A



5. attach the barcode sticker from the new household questionnaire issued to column D

6. repeat steps 2 to 5 until you have recorded all of the new addresses at the property on successive lines of Section 3

APARTMENT 9,1 ROYAL QUAY,LIVERPOOLL3 4ET

2 9 0 3 1 9 3 5 O O B 4 F A 0 2

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ns Multi-occupied property

If they live in part of a multi-occupied property you will need to:

• issue a replacement household questionnaire to one of the households at the address

• issue additional household questionnaires to each of the other households at the property

• issue any additional household continuation and individual questionnaires as required

You will need to record the replacement questionnaire that you issue on a field visit sheet as follows:




4. write the comment ‘Multi-occupied property’ in the bottom half of column C

5. Circle Q in column D

6. attach the self-adhesive barcode sticker of the replacement household questionnaires issued to one of the households at the address to column E


3 1 0 3 1 7 1 0 Q3 0 U H F E 1 6


Multi-occupiedproperty

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nsYou will then need to record each of the additional questionnaires that you issue on the field visit sheet as follows:

8. on a new line, write a note saying ‘See above’ in column A

9. attach the self-adhesive barcode sticker from one of the additional household questionnaires issued to column E

10. circle AQ in column F

11. repeat steps 7 to 9 until you have attached all of the additional self-adhesive bar code stickers on successive lines of the field visit sheet

Questionnaire returned because household reluctant to participate

If the householder marked their questionnaire as return to sender because they do not want to participate in the census then you must still issue them with a replacement household questionnaire. You must also use the approaches outlined in the Getting a Return section, page 19, to offer assistance or persuade them to participate.





4. write a note explaining why the questionnaire was returned in the bottom half of column C

5. Circle Q in column D



See above

3 5 U G L L 0 66A MYRTLE STREET,LIVERPOOLL8 STA01234 567890

2 9 0 3 1 7 4 0 Q

Didn’t want to participate initially

See above

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ns Refusing to participate

If the householder continues to refuse to accept a questionnaire then you should inform your coordinator, who will post one to the address.





4. circle the code R in column C

5. write a note saying ‘Householder refused to accept questionnaire’ in the bottom half of column C

6. complete a dummy form and stick the self-adhesive barcode sticker in column E

7. fill in a refusal report

8. highlight the date on the refusal report if your are visiting before census day (27 March 2011)

3 1 0 3 1 7 1 0 Q3 0 U H F E 1 6


Householder refused toaccept questionniare

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nsInvestigating reported mis-deliveries

Your coordinator may ask you to check on addresses that have been reported to the census helpline by members of the public, who have said that a questionnaire has been posted to a property that is not a current household residence, for example because it is vacant, derelict, demolished, non residential, multi-occupied or sub-divided.

You will need to investigate these properties in the same way as ones that appear on the Royal Mail undelivered questionnaires list and record the outcome of these visits in a field visit sheet. These outcomes could include recording properties that are not current household residences and issuing replacement, additional or new questionnaires to multi-occupied and sub-divided properties.

Reporting to your coordinator

When you meet up with your coordinator you will need to give them all of your completed address spreadsheets and field visit sheets. They will update the address list with the information that you have gathered and link any questionnaires that you have issued to the addresses listed using the questionnaire’s barcodes. These addresses will then be followed-up in the usual way if their questionnaires are not returned.

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ns OTHER GENERAL CENSUS TASKS

In addition to the roles listed above your coordinator may ask you to help with other administrative or general tasks related to the census. These could include:

• preparing supplies for the census collectors

• helping to publicise the census by distributing publicity materials to community centres and libraries

• manning a ‘helpdesk’ in venues such as community centres and libraries where you could answer questions or assist members of the public with completing their questionnaires

• helping a special enumerator with their work at a large communal establishment such as a University

If your coordinator asks you to carry out any of these tasks they will explain what you need to do in detail at that time.

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Documents

2011 Census Collector Instructions