Camdens Strategy for Community Engagement in the 2011 CensusBSPS Conference, Manchester11 September 2008

Quick Introduction to CamdenOrdnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of HMSO . Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence No. 100019726. Year: 2008

Location

Central London boroughFringes on the City to the South London University, Tottenham Ct Rd Main London rail termini Euston, Kings X, St Pancras + Eurostar Town Centres: Camden Town, Tottenham Court Road, Finchley Road, Kilburn () Leafy suburbs: Hampstead, Highgate And the other bits

Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office . Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence No. 100019726. Year: 2008

What is Camden like

Like no other place!Part employment hub Part university town Part Inner City Part leafy suburbiaPart retail centre

Outline

BackgroundLessons from the Census Test Camdens strategyAchieving Camdens strategy

Background

Large scale undercount in 2001

> 1991 - 6%2001 - 23% people - 24% households7th worst LA in England & Wales - despite active involvement of the Council

What happened in 2001

What went wrong?Visitors not counted (some were residents)Logistical problems - post back - staff shortages - shortage of forms! - late sorting - poor management informationPublicity/public perceptionHigh proportion hard to count groups: - students,mobile/24hr population, gated estates - language/cultural barriersand - people who didnt want to be counted!

Lessons from the Census Test

Lessons from the Census Test

Low response 35%, but better than expected!Follow-up crucial to improve overall responseCamden staff a bonusData collection partially useful, e.g. admin data (CEs/HMO/CT/ES), but not background infoLanguage less important than thoughtIlliteracy (inc. form) underestimated?Engaging people enumerators way-inGeneral ignorance!

The Big Problem!

Census message is lost to many. How can we expect people to be engaged in the Census when they know little or nothing about it?Need to reconnect - tell people:About the CensusWhat to doEveryone should be countedAll questions need to be completedWhy its important to them and us!

Camdens Strategy

Camdens Strategy

Two pronged ..About community engagement Motivating our residents (and visitors!) to take partAnd Practical assistance to ONS What we can do as an LA to help?

Community engagement

Publicity = info + building trustBuild on existing and establish new community contactsInvolving councillorsInvolving council staffSchoolsMigration

Publicity

>Camden residents - Residents monthly newsletter Your Camden - Visits to community groups tailor needs - Info at service access points libraries, housing offices, council tax and housing benefits - Camden website (countdown clock?)>What to tell them? Its YOUR Census!!Want ONS lead on this, but still waiting Go it alone if we have to Message from Test -> use for planning services most effective Build trust, relevant outputs, e.g. other EG write in

Camden Population 1801-2001

Chart1

103

132

167

202

233

274

311

347

360

373

379

353

341

326

301

258

246

207

172

165

198

Persons Present (estimate

Year

Thousands

CENSUS

Persons Present (estimatePersons Present (Cen?)

1801103100

1811132128

1821167163

1831202199

1841233229

1851274270

1861311307

1871347342

1881360357

1891373370

1901379377

1911353353

1921341341

1931326326

1939301301

1951258258

1961246246

1971207207

1981172172

1991165165

2001198

CENSUS

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Persons Present (estimate

Year

Thousands

LB Camden: Census Population 1801-2001

Publicity 2

Camden staff - In-house magazines/e-zines (by Directorate) - MOTD email - Essentials intranet - Management/staff seminars

Different message => stressing importance of Census to Local Government: planning and finance

Build on existing and establish new community contacts

>Camden has hundreds of groups>Use key Equalities contacts as a start>Learn from outreach workers etc.>Make contact, work out Census issues>Tailor message to individual groups>Encourage people with language skills, community standing etc. to join Census workforce

Involving Councillors (& MPs)

>Not always 1st port of call>They are community leaders >Win over their support (some there now)>Keep them informed>Stress the importance of the Census in: - describing their area/communities - Local Government finance - local service planning - applying for funding bids - boundary reviews?

Involving Council Staff >Encourage involvement in Census? - local knowledge - public service ethic - always a shortage of staff! But more difficult now belt tightening - can we again agree granting leave?>Help points can we assist public?>Other?

Schools >Opportunity through schools: - Camden has Planning in schools - could piggy-back on this - Childs interest could improve response - Need to move quickly though

Migration >Annual turnover of people in Camden - 20,000 pa to/from UK LAs - 5-10k pa to/from outside UK - 13% of population annually!>A lot of new people to tell messages to,

BUT

>If all LAs press the Census message we will be helping each other!

Practical Assistance to ONS

Probably another talk, but includes: - LLPG up to scratch/ensure ONS uses it - Admin data HMO/CE/CT/ES/mobile - Council space for meeting/storage - Parking dispensations - Public safety issues - Allow council staff to take Census jobs - Access to gated estates (council) - Using Council newsletters/web - Encouraging other LAs to follow suit

Achieving Camdens Strategy

Senior Management buy-in Necessary to have any chance of successCamden CE on side, but requires senior management team support to be effective reportCensus Liaison Manager ONS expects LA to have CLM and ACLM in place. Need CLM.No outside resources ONS will not be paying for it needs costing.Better & Cheaper hard fight in current climate

Achieving Camdens Strategy 2

Be selfish! want the best for Camden, but would work better if all LAs on board Key is is building consensus with residents, with staff & working with ONS

Issues?

>ONS Publicity strategy none yet! But need to start NOW to beat general ignorance

Particularly - informing new migrants- informing visitors, & visiting (migrant) workers

And - stress confidentiality! - stress no record linking! - stress public duty!

Contact details

Neil StorerPrincipal Planning Information OfficerPlanning Policy & InformationForward Planning ServiceCulture and EnvironmentLB Camden

020 7974 5561population@camden.gov.uk