I'm a census researcher ask me anything

[censusresearch]

I work for a local authority as a census research officer so use the information you put on your census forms.

If someone puts the wrong information on the form by mistake what happens? Eg if they didn’t list their university teen as living in the house because they knew DC had already filled the census in from their university address, they wouldn’t be there on the night of the census and didn’t think they should be listed twice, will they be fined?!

Similar to @Howshouldibehave. I have put DS1 on mine but he lives in a shared private rental house for Uni during term time. It didn't ask any further questions after I gave his term time address. Will that prompt them to contact him (by post as that's all they have)

Do you know what "sex" means? Do you think we should be give false answers that make us happy, or are factually accurate?

How can the council get our council tax bill sent to the right address, as can the electoral roll officer for voting, and other officialdom -yet apparently our address doesn’t exist for the census?

What is the point of it when all the information is already out there with HMRC etc?

Is your role permanent or is it one that comes up every decade?

What is your job for the other 9 years of the decade?

@PseudoBadger

What is your job for the other 9 years of the decade?

I do other research for the council for different projects, for example with the results of surveys of local residents who have signed up for the panel taking part in online surveys and focus groups which are done on teams now but used to meet in person. We get asked to do research with specific projects in mind to support funding bids and so, for example to do with traffic, school places, park usage and so on.

Yes,I know what sex is but it's not part of my job. If you'd seen my boss you'd understand. Seriously though, yes, I do know the difference in terms of my job,

I don't get involved in anything to do with the forms, I only get involved with the data when they have processed but I doubt that anything would happen with mistakes with university students. I expect they will get a form at their term time residence anyway as they aren't sent to individuals, looking at my unposted form it just says the householder.

I think you should give factually accurate answers as it helps to plan local services, if we get data saying that 99% of the local population are all heterosexual because those who are not haven't wanted to answer them it's harder to justify funding bids for services for minorities.

Not all of the information is out there already or we wouldn't do the census, it costs a small fortune, it's got questions about carers for example and they aren't all known about.

This isn't my local authority for obvious reasons but I produce this kind of thing

https://www.telford.gov.uk/downloads/file/96/apleycastleewardprofilee2011_census

What happens if one person in the household doesn't want another to see their answers? Religious parents for example.
What happens if 2 people in a houseshare fill in the form and the 3rd doesn't? Can you still submit the form?
How often do people get fined?

I understand this will be the last census - so can I assume information is out there now and so we are wasting our time with this one?

Why do you ask about previous jobs if currently out of the workforce, but don't ask for a date? Just interested as I've not worked for over 10 years, but DH lost his job 2 weeks ago, yet there seems to be no differentiation between us.

Also - why are adults asked whether their gender is the same as their sex (or however the question is actually worded) but children are not. I'm interested in this as there is a transgender child in DD's current class, but that information would not be available to the census researchers.

Why is everyone asked for their marital status? Why not just over 16s?

@Scotlandiscold

What happens if one person in the household doesn't want another to see their answers? Religious parents for example. What happens if 2 people in a houseshare fill in the form and the 3rd doesn't? Can you still submit the form? How often do people get fined?

You can ask for your own census access code and fill in your own census, if you do that's kept private be nobody else in the household will know you have asked for one. It gets sent out in a plain envelope with no logos on it.

You can submit the form if not everybody completes it. Personally I'd tell them to get their own form and then write their name on the household form and tick the box to say they have requested their own form and then if one isn't completed it will be down to them.

They don't ask for dates as they are interested in what people do rather than when. It's used to build a picture of demographics and economic information about the country.

Children under 16 aren't asked about the gender because they might not give a parent the information, a parent might not want to give the information and it's generally thought that it will result in poor quality data. I wouldn't be comfortable with it from the point of view that if the question was asked then pressure might be put on children to answer it when they wouldn't want to and it could put some children at risk if it's something that their parents would react badly to.

I'd be surprised if more then a handful of households had been prosecuted, I've never heard of any local prosecutions.

What do you put if your children are resident on the night of 21st March but you have joint custody so technically they live at both parents homes and are not just visiting? Thanks x

Is it true people in Scotland don’t have to do it until next year?

@TheSnootiestFox

What do you put if your children are resident on the night of 21st March but you have joint custody so technically they live at both parents homes and are not just visiting? Thanks x

You put them as being at the house where they spend the most time. If it is 50/50 then you put them as living wherever they are tomorrow night.

@doodlejump1980

Is it true people in Scotland don’t have to do it until next year?

Yes, it was moved because of covid. I can't see the point of that tbh, people are going to be in their homes most likely anyway.

How much do you think will Covid will skew the results?
For example, the whole where you work isnt representative of the past 5 years, or what things will be like going forward. How much can you use the data to plan when we are mid pandemic?

@DancesWithDaffodils

How much do you think will Covid will skew the results? For example, the whole where you work isnt representative of the past 5 years, or what things will be like going forward. How much can you use the data to plan when we are mid pandemic?

In terms of work not much really because it asks for the postcode of where you work so you'd put your employers postcode for that, that's what I've done even though I'm not in the office working at the moment. It records your most recent industry if you aren't working and if you are furloughed you'd still put your current work place as you are still employed.

The religion question is optional. I’m just wondering if you know what % of people don’t answer it?

I use the journey to work data as a core dataset for my job. I am not looking forward to the next decade of it being essentially useless!

I'm fairly certain DH didnt need his work postcode - he's down as working from home currently, but, pre pandemic, would drive 40 miles each way.
I'm still physically in work, so had to input my postcode.

Do people actually get prosecuted for not filling in the forms or giving false information?

Most people believe there are millions of ‘undocumented’, ie illegal immigrants in this country. How are these accounted for in the census?

@MinesAPintOfTea

I use the journey to work data as a core dataset for my job. I am not looking forward to the next decade of it being essentially useless!

It really should have said in the guidance to put how you travel to work during normal times shouldn't it.