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How ONS used a national publicity campaign to promote engagement with the 2011 Census.
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Outlines the process for getting the 2011 Census English and Welsh language questionnaires out to households and returned, either via post or online.
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The 2011 Census recruited 35,000 field staff to make sure that as many people as possible in England and Wales completed and returned a census questionnaire.
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ONS sought to realise the value of local authorities’ knowledge about their own communities to ensure the success of the 2011 Census.
A variety of approaches were used to reach the whole population, and to increase participation among some groups of people and achieve a high return rate for all areas:
Pre-addressed questionnaires posted out to all households using a specially developed national address register.
Co-operation with local groups included local authorities and regional, community and neighbourhood groups. A dedicated website supported stakeholder engagement in the build up to the census period.
Publicity a branded, national publicity campaign included TV and radio advertising, billboards, trade press and magazine partnerships.
Return online or by post - householders and residents in communal establishments had a choice of submitting questionnaires online or by post.
Support for the public through:
dedicated websites during the census period for the awareness campaign and the online questionnaire including advice and guidance for completing the questionnaire
an online accessibility support providing video and audio assistance, in English and Welsh, for people who are visually impaired or deaf
a multi-lingual telephone helpline