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NATIONAL POPULATION CENSUS 2011
This instruction applies to:
Reference:
Prisons
PSI 02/2011 (update)
Issue Date
Effective Date
Expiry Date
11 February 2011
10 February 2011
09 April 2011
Issued on the authority of
For action by
For information
Contact
Associated documents
NOMS Agency Board
Governors/Directors of Contracted Prisons and all prison staff
in establishments.
Directors of Offender Management
Marion Stubbs – Offender Safety, Rights & Responsibilities
Group
Marion.stubbs2@noms.gsi.gov.uk
0300 047 5689
PSI 02/2011 - Copies of the original version issued in
January must be replaced with this updated version
Audit/monitoring :
Directors of Offender Management will monitor compliance in their region with the mandatory
actions set out in this Instruction.
NOTES:
Governors must ensure that the mandatory instructions shown in italics throughout this document
are fully implemented.
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CONTENTS
Section
1
2
3
4
Annex A
Annex B
Annex C
Annex D
Subject
Purpose
Executive Summary
Operational Instructions
Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Guidance
Applies to
All prison staff
All prison staff
All prison staff
All prison staff
Supplementary Notes for the
Completion of Individual Forms in
Prisons
Language Helpline Numbers
All prison staff
I-questionnaire
CE1-questionnaire
All prison staff
All prison staff
All prison staff
1
Purpose
1.1
This PSI replaces PSI 02/2011 issued in January which is hereby cancelled. There are no
changes to the body of the PSI but the guidance at Annex A has been amended.
1.2
This revised PSI is issued due to an error at Office for National Statistics (ONS) relating to
the guidance at Annex A and the requirements for prisoners to answer some questions in a
certain way to ensure that outputs are both consistent and relevant.
1.3
.
The census procedures remain unchanged.
2.
Executive summary
Background
2.1
The purpose of this Instruction is to alert Governors to the forthcoming national population
census on 27 March 2011, and to set out the legislative requirements under the Census Act
1920. The Census is designed to be a complete count of the population.
2.2
This Instruction includes guidance from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on a
number of points that might arise and it should be read in conjunction with the guidance
leaflets which will be issued with the census questionnaires.
2.3
The ten year national census count of the population of England and Wales includes all
usual residents of communal establishments, including prisons. ONS is responsible for
organising this enumeration.
Desired outcomes
2.4
All convicted prisoners who meet the criteria (see paragraph 3.1) are given the opportunity
to complete a census questionnaire.
2.5
Governors complete a CE1 questionnaire for their establishment, and liaise with the
Census Coordinator as necessary.
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2.6.1
Participation in the 2011 census is a legal requirement placed on NOMS by the Census
Act 1920. The information provided will allow central and local Government, health
authorities and many other organisations to target their resources more effectively.
2.7
The information contained in completed Census questionnaires will be treated in strict
confidence and will not be disclosed to anyone outside the census organisation. All
personal information is protected by law.
Mandatory Actions
2.8
Governors must ensure that:

their establishment complies with the legal requirement to take part in the census,

they co-operate with the ONS census staff

the CE1 questionnaire is completed, and I-questionnaires are distributed and
returned to the census staff within the allotted timeframe
Resource impact
2.9
There will be a short term, impact on prison staff. No extra resources are available, and
Governors must manage the process within overall provision. It is recognised that there will
be a loss of regime time to ensure the census process is completed.
3.
Operational Instructions
3.1
Under the terms of the Census Act 1920, each prisoner that is usually resident in the prison
at midnight on the 27 March 2011 is required to complete a census I-questionnaire (copy
at Annex C).
3.2
Governors have a legal duty to issue each eligible prisoner with a census questionnaire, to
inform the prisoner of their legal obligation to complete the questionnaire, and warn them of
the possibility of legal action if they fail to do so.
If it is not clear whether an individual
should receive a questionnaire they should be offered one and allowed to decide for
themselves whether or not it needs to be completed. Supplementary notes for the
completion of Individual questionnaires are contained in Annex A.
3.3
Every prisoner who is issued with an individual questionnaire will also be given a privacy
envelope which can be used to maintain confidentiality. Envelopes should be given to
prisoners after completion of the questionnaire and they are required to seal their
questionnaire in the envelope. Prison staff must not look at a prisoner’s answers under any
circumstances unless the prisoner asks for help to complete the questionnaire.
3.4
There are penalties for breach of confidentiality. Under no circumstances, except where a
request for assistance is received, should a member of the prison authorities inspect a
prisoner’s answers. Governors, or other persons in charge, must ensure that information
provided is not divulged to any unauthorised person.
3.5
Governors must facilitate the completion of the census questionnaires as far as possible
and provide assistance to those prisoners who are sight impaired, have literacy or learning
difficulties and/or which addresses any special needs a prisoner with a disability may have.
3.6
For those prisoners who do not understand English, leaflets offering guidance to prisoners
in some fifty-six languages and translations of the questions on the census questionnaires
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can be downloaded from the census website www.census.gov.uk/england/translations.
Alternatively, if translation leaflets are needed discuss this with the Census Coordinator
who will be able to obtain these for you. There is no provision for translators, but Annex B
lists the 56 language helpline telephone numbers that can be used to help people unable to
read or speak English, to complete their questionnaire.
3.7
Questionnaires in both English and Welsh will be issued to prison establishments in Wales.
The prisoners have the option of completing the questionnaire in either English or Welsh
but they only need to complete one questionnaire.
3.8
Governors must ensure that an I-questionnaire is distributed to all prisoners who come
under the heading of usually resident.
3.9
Governors must arrange for the CE1 questionnaire (copy at Annex D) to be completed for
the prison. Therefore, a local record will need to be kept of all questionnaires issued and all
questionnaires returned completed. At larger prisons, the total number of questionnaires
may have been sub-divided into more manageable workloads e.g. by wing or by building. If
this is the case, a CE1-questionnaire will be issued and may be completed for each
wing/building as appropriate.
3.10
Although in practice a Governor may delegate the task of dealing with the Census returns
the Governor will still have the responsibility for seeing that the completed forms are
collected back from prisoners and handed over to the census co-ordinator. The completed
questionnaires should be ready for collection as soon after Census day as possible and a
convenient time for their collection should be agreed with the Census Coordinator when the
forms are delivered.
Annex A provides guidance on a number of issues that may commonly arise during
completion of the questionnaires, but the following additional information may also be
helpful;
Remand prisoners
3.11
Unconvicted prisoners will be treated as ‘visitors’, irrespective of how long they have been
in prison or on remand. Their usual residence will be their usual family home, so there is no
requirement for them to complete a questionnaire.
Immigration Detainees
3.12
Any immigration detainees within prison facilities (i.e. those who are detained under
immigration powers pending their removal/deportation from the UK) will form part of the
prison census if they meet the following criteria:
‘Anyone from outside the UK who has stayed (or intends to stay) in the UK for at least 3 months’
Any refusals should be noted in line with paragraph 2.12.
Temporary Absence
3.13
Where a prisoner is temporarily absent from the prison establishment on 27 March 2011
but would normally be included in the census count under the ‘usually resident’ criteria, the
governor must either arrange for a census questionnaire to be completed on the prisoner’s
behalf, providing key information only: name, date of birth, gender, and marital status; or
the Governor can arrange for the I-questionnaires to be completed in advance of 27th
March 2011.
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Refusals
3.14
If a prisoner refuses to complete the questionnaire, despite being told of the legal
requirement to do so and being given every opportunity possible to do so, the Governor
should note on a record that the questionnaire has been issued and that the prisoner has
refused to complete it. This information must be given to the Census Coordinator when
he/she returns to collect the completed questionnaires.
Employment details
3.15
Questions that enquire about prisoners’ current employment details should be completed
as far as possible. This applies equally to prisoners who work in the prison or, in the case
of prisoners in an open or resettlement prison, for an outside contractor. ONS are aware of
the fact that in most cases, work is done within the prison as a requirement of the Prison
Rules.
Advance Completion of Forms
3.16
In many cases it will be apparent in advance that a prisoner will still be ‘usually resident’ in
the prison at midnight on 27 March 2011. Governors may therefore find it helpful to have
questionnaires completed in advance of the day though the questionnaires should however
still be dated 27 March 2011. If this is done and circumstances change making it
inappropriate to include the prisoner, the front page only (which contains the barcode) of
the questionnaire must be returned to the Census Coordinator so it can be deactivated on
the ONS questionnaire tracking system. The remainder of the questionnaire must then be
destroyed completely and confidentially. Questionnaires completed early should therefore
have the prisoner’s number written on the outside of the privacy envelope in pencil, to aid
easy recognition should the questionnaire need to be destroyed at a later date. If the
prisoners are still resident on 27 March 2011 all the numbers should be removed from each
envelope before being submitted to ONS.
Further Information
3.17
If prison staff experience further problems on 27 March 2011, there is an ONS helpline that
staff can use: 0300 0201 101; there is also a website – www.census.gov.uk
4.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) Guidance
Persons to be Enumerated
4.1
All prisoners that are usually resident at a Prison Service establishment at midnight on
Sunday 27 March 2011 are to be enumerated. The term ‘usually resident’ means any
convicted prisoner who is serving a sentence of six months imprisonment or more or who
is convicted but unsentenced, commencing on or before Census Day. Prisoners who are
serving a sentence of less than six months will be included on the questionnaire at their
usual residence. Those who do not have any other usual residence will be enumerated at
the establishment.
4.2
Prisoners do not have to be present on Census night to be usually resident. For example,
those in NHS hospitals will be enumerated at the prison where the Governor or other
persons in charge will complete the questionnaire in their absence. Similar arrangements
would apply to those on compassionate leave. In such instances it is the responsibility of
the Governor or nominated person to decide who is usually resident.
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4.3
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Prisoners will complete an Individual questionnaire (I-questionnaire).
Prisoners Sectioned Under the Mental Health Act
4.4
Persons held under the Mental Health Act 1983 in high security psychiatric hospitals are
the responsibility of the hospital manager. Therefore, the Department of Health will be
responsible for counting prisoners held in these units rather than the Prison Service.
Police Cells
4.5
Occupants of police cells will not be enumerated for the 2011 Census.
Unofficial Absences
4.6
Subject to the usual residence rules, the Governor or nominated person should complete a
questionnaire on behalf of a prisoner who is unofficially absent. Only minimum data needs
to be recorded in these circumstances: name; sex; date of birth; and marital status; all of
which should be available from the files.
Census Field Staff
4.7
Local arrangements for carrying out the Census are the responsibility of the Census
Coordinator and they will make preliminary contact to discuss arrangements about one
month before the Census.
Delivery of questionnaires
4.8
A supply of questionnaires will be delivered by the census co-ordinator to the Governor or
nominated person during the two weeks prior to Census day.
The questionnaires are:I-questionnaire - to be completed by every individual who meets the prisoner definition
residing in a communal establishment. A privacy envelope will be provided.
CE1-questionnaire - to be completed by the Governor or nominated person
Note: Welsh language versions of the questionnaires will be available for establishments in
Wales.
Return of Completed Questionnaires
4.9
The completed questionnaires should be ready for collection as soon after Census day as
possible and a convenient time for their collection should be agreed with the Census
Coordinator when the forms are delivered.
Payment
4.10
No remuneration from Census funds is payable to those who complete or assist in
completing census questionnaires.
Contact
If you require any further information about this Instruction contact:
Marion Stubbs – Offender Safety, Rights & Responsibilities Group
Marion.stubbs2@noms.gsi.gov.uk
0300 047 5689
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(signed)
Ian Poree
Director of Service Development
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ANNEX A
Supplementary Notes for the Completion of Individual Forms in Prisons
Addresses - Question 21
Prisoners who were in custody one year ago, but in a different establishment from the one
in which they are currently detained should tick “Another address in the UK, write in below”
and give the name of that establishment. Prisoners who have entered prison within the last
year should state their usual address at that time and tick the appropriate box
Last week’s work - Question 26
Prisoners should answer ‘None of the above’
Recent paid work - Questions 27 - 29
Prisoners should answer ‘No’ to these questions
Last week’s status – Question 30
Prisoners should answer ‘Other’
Summary of work history - Questions 31 - 38
Prisoners should answer as appropriate about their last paid employment.
How do you usually travel to work? - Questions 40 - 42
Prisoners are not required to answer these questions, they should be left blank.
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ANNEX B
Talking Your Language
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CONFIDENTIAL WHEN COMPLETED
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ANNEX C
For access click on link below:
PSI 01/2011
Issue date 04/01/2011
CONFIDENTIAL WHEN COMPLETED
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ANNEX D
For access click on link below:
PSI 02/2011 (update)
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