Census 2021: helping us plan for our future
Census data is vital — here’s a closer look at how some of it is used
VTHE CENSUS TAKES place once a decade. Completing the census takes only ten minutes per person and every household in the country is legally obligated to complete it. Services such as transport, education and healthcare in our local areas are informed by census information. From councils planning school places, building doctors’ surgeries and transport routes, to charities seeking funding, census information is at the heart of the decisions made across England and Wales. Without the census — and without providing information about ourselves, our households, and our homes — it would be much more difficult to plan services across England and Wales.
JEWISH LIFE Dr Jonathan Boyd (right), executive director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, says: “Close examination of census data allows us to construct an immensely detailed portrait of the Jewish population — its age profile, geographical contours, socioeconomic conditions, health status, living circumstances and much more. And the existence of these data helps every single Jewish organisation in the country to understand exactly what the Jewish population of the UK looks like, how it has changed over time, and how it is likely to evolve in the future.
“Jewish Care has used the census to project how many elderly care places will be needed in care homes going forward. Partnerships for Jewish Schools (PaJeS) has used it to determine how many school places to provide. Langdon has used it to assess how many Jewish children have learning disabilities. World Jewish Relief has used it to build support for its work overseas. It’s been used to help understand the scale and nature of antisemitism, to determine intermarriage rates and to help create low-cost housing for disadvantaged Jewish families.”
SCHOOL PLACES
Rabbi David Meyer OBE (right), executive director of PaJeS, says: “An important element of PaJeS’s strategic work is provision planning where at primary and secondary school level we consider where our schools are located, the projected demand and whether there are sufficient places for children in Jewish schools.
“It is also important when engaging with Government that we can give an accurate picture of our demography.
The census is an essential tool in understanding our community and assessing how it is growing and what our needs will be over the coming years. The Jewish community and our society is comprised of individuals and it is only by completing the census that the needs of each individual can be considered and met. It is therefore essential that everyone completes the census, including the question about religion, to ensure that as individuals and as a community our
voices are heard.”
FIRE SERVICES The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London. In planning its services, the LFB does an assessment of risk across London. LFB uses census data — and its own knowledge of the communities across the capital — to accurately assess the risk level for each area. There is an online postcode tool that members of the public can use to look up their own area. A big part of LFB’s role is trying to prevent fires from happening in the first place and to do this it is important to look at which areas and communities are most at risk. By looking at data from the census about age, for example, the team can map areas with higher numbers of older people living alone, who might be more at risk of injury or death if a fire happened. Other factors, like overcrowding or lack of central heating, can also make people more vulnerable.
The Brigade works with local councils and communities to help reduce risks, educating residents on fire safety and carrying out home fire safety visits. This helps to reduce the number of fires and casualties from fire in London. Without the census data it would be more difficult for the Brigade to map these areas of risk. It really does save lives.
Census day was March 21. Complete the census as soon as you receive your code in the post.
If you need support to complete your census online, help is available (see below). If you cannot get online, Census Support Centres are available across England and Wales (when safe, subject to Covid guidance). If you prefer, you can request a paper questionnaire. To find help, get in touch: Website and webchat: www.census.gov.uk
Free phone:
England 0800 141 2021
Wales 0800 169 2021
Text 86677
Text relay service:
England (18001) 0800 141 2021 Wales (18001) 0800 169 2021
Free language helpline:
0800 587 2021
Census Support Centres:
To find your nearest centre (only when safe to do so, subject to Covid guidance), call free on 0800 141 2021. To find out more, go to www.census. gov.uk/about-the-census
Produced in partnership with the Office for National Statistics