National census 2011

Census 2011Sunday 27th March 2011 is census day. It's very important that everyone in the country completes a census questionnaire. Decisions about the allocation of millions of pounds of grants from central government to local authorities and health authorities depend directly of population estimates made by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) based on census data. And service and business planning by organisations in public, private and third sectors also is carried out to a great extent based on information from the census. Encouraging and enabling everyone to complete the 2011 Census will ensure that these vital population estimates are as comprehensive and accurate as possible.

ONS is an entirely independent government agency, though I am working in partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Milton Keynes Council for the purposes of early community engagement and, in the new year, actual census operations.

Part of the job of census area managers like myself is to publicise the census well in advance, and to engage and communicate especially with population groups that we know from experience may tend to be undercounted, for various reasons. We believe that some of these groups may be represented in your parish. They include, for example:

  • Older people (80+), especially if living alone or with some physical or sensory disability
  • Young adults (18-29)
  • People from black and minority ethnic groups
  • Migrants from overseas, both long established and more recent (such as young eastern Europeans or Africans)
  • People with more than one home
  • People with physical, sensory, learning disabilities that affect ability to complete questionnaires
  • Families of pre-school children

The aim of this message is to remind you that the census is coming, and to ask you to think about how you might wish to help your residents to realise that the census must be completed and that help will be available for those who require it. Some important points to note:

  • All census information can be found on this website
  • Questionnaires will be delivered to every household by post, and to certain communal establishments by hand-delivery to, for example, the establishment manager for internal distribution with arrangements made by us for collection
  • The questionnaire may be completed and returned by post, or else completed securely on-line
  • The census telephone helpline will be active from 4 March to respond to any request for help – which may include pointers to multilingual guidance booklets or accessibility aids such as large-print or braille questionnaires, easy-read versions, text relay and British Sign Language resources, or a request for a member of census field staff to visit personally to give assistance with completion
  • ONS is developing a 'Carers Protocol' which will explain how carers can help their less able clients to complete the census, whilst preserving confidentiality, dignity, and autonomy in this matter as far as is possible
  • ONS is also developing a 'Completion Session Protocol' which will set out how joint sessions my be run in local community premises, for example, for groups of people requiring assistance with completion

And finally, as your local census area manager, I'd like to offer my advice or assistance with any aspect of the census, and I would certainly welcome any ideas or suggestions about how we can help you to publicise the coming 2011 Census locally.

With thanks for your attention, and best regards
Suzanne MacLeod, 2011 Census Area Manager (Milton Keynes, Aylesbury Vale, South Oxfordshire), 07801 331477