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.

Why can't people see data held about them from the last censuses? Surely they should be able to?

How are the addresses identified for the census? I ask because we've received two forms, one for each of the two flats that used to be here before they were converted back into a single house. The conversion happened since the last census but the property is listed on the land registry, council tax records etc. as a house.

Also, is it possible to track the change in property usage over time by looking at census data?

I was born abroad (military) the questions that followed were more relavant to someone who had immigrated to the UK, not dipped in and out all my life due to postings and couldn’t access accurately.
On every other questionnnaire there is generally a recognition of MOD births, but not the case with the census?

I said that my two year old identifies their nationality as "fireman sam" because I asked them and thats what they said. Will I get in trouble with the fuzz?

If the question was "what is the nationality of your child" I would have said British. But that was not the question.

Why is this going ahead now, in lockdown when things are so different from normal - like hundreds of thousands of people still working from home, not using public transport etc? Feels like the data will be v unrepresentative.

For the religion question why is Christian just one group? There are many denominations, what if I want to be more specific as to which one I identify as? Can I choose other, and write it there instead of choosing Christian?

Also is the information from the religion question used in relation to maintaining faith schools? If so I definitely want to be more specific.

Censusresearch I apologise. I misunderstood your role. Sorry.

Why do people think they're clever putting stupid answers into the census because they don't like the way the questions are written?

at the last census there were concerns about data security due to it being outsourced to a us company.
are there similar concerns as well this year?

@Glumgal are you seriously saying it "annoys" you that BSL is there as a language?! This is the first time ever that BSL has been recognised as a language on a census. As a consequence, there has never been an accurate record of how many people use BSL as a first language (Deaf people or children of Deaf adults) and services for Deaf people are woefully inadequate in this country. Just look at the fact that the government has failed to provide a BSL interpreter for a single Covid briefing, or the number of Deaf schools there are around the country.

I understand you think that there needs to be a section for people who don't know any language (people who can't speak don't necessarily not know a language - I would have thought a situation in which a person develops no language skills was incredibly rare and mostly accounts for people with severe learning disabilities. They would also not be considered to be a linguistic minority in the way BSL users could be. I also know people who cannot speak but can hear who use BSL to communicate) but do not use that to take away the rights of Deaf people, who will hopefully benefit considerably from their inclusion in this data.

No I wasn't saying that at all. Of course BSL should be there (incidentally it was also in the 2011 census - I clearly remember having the same dilemma then). I just meant it annoys me that if it's acknowledged that there are people who don't use spoken language to communicate then why can't there be an additional category as an alternative to BSL. Yes I know it's rare not to have / understand any language at all but there are still members of our society who do not fit into any of the categories given.

if one household fills in the census for everyone but one householder requests a separate code and fills in their own, how is the data dealt with?

What is the national identity question used for? One of my dc identified as British only, the other as English and British.

Whats the most surprising conclusion youve ever drawn from census data? I know thats subjective but Im interested in your thoughts.

I'm in a refuge. I forgot to ask them and no one's in today. I guess they've already filled it in for the residents, guessing our religion, ethnicity, and gender identity?

My situation is the same as @JuniperBeer

Born outside the UK. Lived in Germany and Hong Kong. Never lived abroad since I was 14....do I out that?

*put

Why is relationship status still defined by marriage? My mum was divorced 50 years ago, never remarried so still goes down as divorced. Seems anachronistic and I'm not sure how it helps with planning.

@SE13Mummy

How are the addresses identified for the census? I ask because we've received two forms, one for each of the two flats that used to be here before they were converted back into a single house. The conversion happened since the last census but the property is listed on the land registry, council tax records etc. as a house.

Also, is it possible to track the change in property usage over time by looking at census data?

Not really no, as the census is residential you can only really see things like it changing from a HMO to a family home or a hostel to house or vice versa. We don't look at that kind of thing anyway because it's covered by applications to the council for planning permission or change of use most of the time.

Councils have a database of addresses in their area, they use it for all kinds of things, not just the census but school applications and so on, I don't get involved with that though, it's not my department.

@happymummy12345

For the religion question why is Christian just one group? There are many denominations, what if I want to be more specific as to which one I identify as? Can I choose other, and write it there instead of choosing Christian?

Also is the information from the religion question used in relation to maintaining faith schools? If so I definitely want to be more specific.

I don't have anything to do with schools but we have never been asked for religion data from the department that deals with new schools or existing church schools. The church would probably be more interested in that kind of thing for existing schools but they would get information from churches I expect as they have baptism and church attendance records like the church electoral roll which would give a good idea of numbers who might want a church school,

Most children in C of E schools aren't active church members as far as I am aware, it's higher in RC schools from anecdotal evidence, for example a lot of the Eastern European families will opt for a RC school place but I don't know if that's because of the religion or because you get a few families go there and a parent who speaks the language might volunteer or get a job there as a helper and then that appeals to other families.

@joanna67

Censusresearch I apologise. I misunderstood your role. Sorry.

No worries,I think I misunderstand it myself at times

@ShesMadeATwatOfMePam

Why do people think they're clever putting stupid answers into the census because they don't like the way the questions are written?

For the same reason as we have Boaty McBoatface.

@redcandlelight

at the last census there were concerns about data security due to it being outsourced to a us company. are there similar concerns as well this year?

Not that I have heard about but I am not involved in that at all.

@redcandlelight

if one household fills in the census for everyone but one householder requests a separate code and fills in their own, how is the data dealt with?

We get the data at a level above address level so we don't see it like that, we get data for what are called output areas which are usually between 40-100 households and are the smallest level we get to see the data it. it's different in different parts of the UK so it depends where you live but the basic principle is the same. I would never know that Joe Bloggs and Balonz Bloggs had filled in a separate form.

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale

Whats the most surprising conclusion youve ever drawn from census data? I know thats subjective but Im interested in your thoughts.

At the level we work at there's not much that surprises us really because we deal with local area data all the time and the census is just one part of that. Most of the stuff that people find interesting is statistical anomalies caused by areas with a small population and data sources other than the census. It's not that that doesn't ever throw up surprises but this is census data we are talking about which isn't the most exciting data set around.

At census level, things like large populations of a different nationality (not Polish as that's common though perhaps less than it used to be sadly but that's a whole other issue),if you have a small town in Devon with a high proportion of residents from Ankh Morpork then people would find that interesting. The locals would know of course.