Census Jobs

andyroberts1967

Lil_Me wrote: »

Just a FYI but if you've been a collector you're not allowed to then go back to the same area for the CCS.

My area wasn't there anyway but the neighbouring area is, so maybe they'll give me that instead then. If they want me to start on Monday then i am guessing they'll be in touch very soon! Either that or they'll just not bother, who knows!

NonGeographicalMan

andyroberts1967 wrote: »

My area wasn't there anyway but the neighbouring area is, so maybe they'll give me that instead then. If they want me to start on Monday then i am guessing they'll be in touch very soon! Either that or they'll just not bother, who knows!

Its one thing to make sure people have had a form and have not forgotten to complete it etc and/or to check if a property appears to be unoccupied on a long term basis.

However if people basically make it abundantly clear to a Collector that they are refusing to complete the census and have been told there is a potential magistrates court prosecution and fine for not doing so then surely at that stage they should stop being visited but should receive a sequence of two or three letters indicating that their case may be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for further action if they still have not completed a census return by a certain final date.

Letters sent out by a computer can't cost more than a quid each all in including the post cost and surely once your remaining targets become very spread out then each Collector visit must cost a lot more than that taking in to account time, fuel, their wages, training cost, employers national insurance and so on.

You wouldn't have the DVLA clambering all over people's doorsteps to make them buy a tax disc and yet since SORN was introduced followed by the Police then having those automatic scanners to check if any car on the road is taxed or insured compliance has become very high indeed.

The whole current method of ensuring every household completes a census does seem extremely wasteful in terms of resources when there are clearly cheaper but equally effective methods that would lead to a similar final percentage level of compliance.

em80

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

Its one thing to make sure people have had a form and have not forgotten to complete it etc and/or to check if a property appears to be unoccupied on a long term basis.

However if people basically make it abundantly clear to a Collector that they are refusing to complete the census and have been told there is a potential magistrates court prosecution and fine for not doing so then surely at that stage they should stop being visited but should receive a sequence of two or three letters indicating that their case may be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for further action if they still have not completed a census return by a certain final date.

Letters sent out by a computer can't cost more than a quid each all in including the post cost and surely once your remaining targets become very spread out then each Collector visit must cost a lot more than that taking in to account time, fuel, their wages, training cost, employers national insurance and so on.

You wouldn't have the DVLA clambering all over people's doorsteps to make them buy a tax disc and yet since SORN was introduced followed by the Police then having those automatic scanners to check if any car on the road is taxed or insured compliance has become very high indeed.

The whole current method of ensuring every household completes a census does seem extremely wasteful in terms of resources when there are clearly cheaper but equally effective methods that would lead to a similar final percentage level of compliance.

It's not an enforcer role, it's asking people to complete a survey about the census. The majority of the people they CCS interviewers will visit will be people who sent their forms back.

andyroberts1967

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

Its one thing to make sure people have had a form and have not forgotten to complete it etc and/or to check if a property appears to be unoccupied on a long term basis.

However if people basically make it abundantly clear to a Collector that they are refusing to complete the census and have been told there is a potential magistrates court prosecution and fine for not doing so then surely at that stage they should stop being visited but should receive a sequence of two or three letters indicating that their case may be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for further action if they still have not completed a census return by a certain final date.

Letters sent out by a computer can't cost more than a quid each all in including the post cost and surely once your remaining targets become very spread out then each Collector visit must cost a lot more than that taking in to account time, fuel, their wages, training cost, employers national insurance and so on.

You wouldn't have the DVLA clambering all over people's doorsteps to make them buy a tax disc and yet since SORN was introduced followed by the Police then having those automatic scanners to check if any car on the road is taxed or insured compliance has become very high indeed.

The whole current method of ensuring every household completes a census does seem extremely wasteful in terms of resources when there are clearly cheaper but equally effective methods that would lead to a similar final percentage level of compliance.

SSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I'm doing all right out of this!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

NonGeographicalMan

andyroberts1967 wrote: »

SSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I'm doing all right out of this!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I'm sure that's not your main motivation in being a customs officer though is it.;)

NonGeographicalMan

em80 wrote: »

It's not an enforcer role, it's asking people to complete a survey about the census. The majority of the people they CCS interviewers will visit will be people who sent their forms back.

I was talking about the Collector role in my earlier post and not commenting on the usefulness of the Interviewer role. I do realise that the Interviewer role is designed to get a further more detailed picture from a certain small percentage of households that complete the main questionnaire.

Also whilst I have criticised the recruitment competence and efficiency of Capita extensively in this thread I do support the whole concept of there being a once every 10 year Census even though Cameron seems to think he can scrap it all and make do with The Big Society instead.

NonGeographicalMan

MichaelCR wrote: »

I didn't vote for any governments so therefore that statue doesn't apply to myself.

Wrong. If you don't bother to vote you have no right at all to complain about any legislation passed by government.

Lil_Me_2

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

I do realise that the Interviewer role is designed to get a further more detailed picture from a certain small percentage of households that complete the main questionnaire.

No it's not more detailed. It's less overall questions, but pretty much the same questions that are asked on the main questionnaire, we won't collect any new information. It's just checking that people haven't been missed due to people not understanding who to include and who not to include on the census forms. It can be very confusing so I see why they need to check!

NonGeographicalMan

Lil_Me wrote: »

No it's not more detailed. It's less overall questions, but pretty much the same questions that are asked on the main questionnaire, we won't collect any new information. It's just checking that people haven't been missed due to people not understanding who to include and who not to include on the census forms. It can be very confusing so I see why they need to check!

Is the interviewing therefore mainly restricted to places like Old People's Homes or large houses in areas where there are known to be many people living at each address (thinking of certain areas favoured by immigrant populations with regular long term visitors from abroad etc staying with them)?

If the interview process is just random then I don't really see the point as you surely only interview a tiny percentage of the total number of households asked to complete a census questionnaire. Or is the point of the the Interviewing to work out adjustment factors to the main Census data for potential inaccuracy in certain household types in certain areas that your random Interviewing is likely to show up a pattern for?

dou_jyr

Lil_Me wrote: »

Just a FYI but if you've been a collector you're not allowed to then go back to the same area for the CCS.

rats! i've grown bizarrely fond of my patch