Counting the Homeless in the UK Census

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Counting the Homeless in the UK Census

• By Emma Wood,
• Head of Field Force Operations, ONS

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• Enumeration of homeless/rootless
• Enumeration of those in hostels and night
  shelters
• Enumeration of Rough Sleepers
• 2001- Methodology, outcome and lessons learnt
• 2011 Research and current plans

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Homeless Rootless

• Next UK Census 27 March 2011
• People will be counted where they are usually
  resident
• People staying in a household with no usual
  residence counted where they are staying
• Not distinguishable from other household
  residents.

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Hostels and Nightshelters

• Treated as Communal Establishments
• Establishment managers complete questionnaire
  about the establishment
• Those staying their complete an Individual
  questionnaire assuming they have no usual
  residence elsewhere
• Establishment Manager responsible for getting
  Questionnaires out and back from those staying
  there.
• Questionnaires delivered and collected by Census
  staff who will support Manager.

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Counting Rough Sleepers - 2001

• Conducted 29/30 April 2001 between 2200 and
  0600.
• Used teams of Census field staff with support
  from Local Authorities and outreach workers.
• Individual completed questionnaire or Enumerators
  did this on their behalf.
• Sleepers not woken up Enumerators guessed basic
  demographic information

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Rough Sleepers 2001

• Results
• 938 Rough Sleepers counted
• 866 staff required to achieve this count
• Some local counts contradicted Census counts
  some Census counts disputed

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Rough Sleepers 2001 Lessons learnt

• Needed more help from voluntary sector and LAs to
  improve quality and cost effectiveness.
• Very difficult to balance requirements of central
  government, local government and voluntary sector
  and still carry out an independent count.

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Towards 2011- Research

• Liaising with Department for Communities and
  Local Government
• Local Authorities must conduct counts at least
  once a year if more than ten rough sleepers
• Observed Local Authority count in Westminster
  attracts a lot of Rough Sleepers and conducts
  counts twice a year

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Westminster count

• Westminster divided into sectors. Teams of two
  sent to count paired voluntary sector staff
  with Local Authority staff
• Independent verifier used
• Local Police used to follow-up missing
  information
• Approach much more informal then a Census
  Enumeration

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Westminster who was included in the count

• People sleeping or bedded down in the open air
  (such as on the streets, or in doorways, parks or
  bus shelters), people in buildings or other
  places not designed for habitation (such as
  barns, sheds, car parks, cars derelict boats or
  stations).

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Westminster Count

• Many people encountered did not fit the precise
  definition of bedded down
• However, precise definition needed to prevent
  double counting
• Used team of approx 35 to count approx 70
• Very good use of local knowledge and expertise of
  working with this group

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Future trends

• Aim to end Rough Sleeping by 2012
• More investment in day time support
• Fewer opportunites to sleep rough

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Plans for 2011

• Had hoped to conduct LA counts around time of
  Census and use the data gathered to collect key
  demographic questions for Census.
• Now ruled out Census regulations mean
  individuals must get opportunity to complete
  their own questionnaires
• Possible change of government in 2010 would be a
  significant risk

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Plans for 2011

• Now likely to use a Census field force to count
  rough sleepers as in 2001
• Working with membership organisation for UK
  homeless agencies Homeless Link
• Investigating ways of increasing the number of LA
  and voluntary sector helpers to be involved in
  the count or in the training
• Considering how we will spread the message to the
  voluntary sector and to Rough Sleepers that the
  Census is beneficial

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Conclusions

• Counting Rough Sleepers is a big challenge
• Difficult to balance quality with cost
  effectiveness
• Answer lies in statistical organisations forming
  relationships with homelessness organisations and
  in utilising expertise