The adult social care service is one of the areas which has been highlighted as of particular importance in the upcoming Census 2021.
Final preparations for Census 2021 are underway and finding out what is happening with care services, paid and unpaid, in Slough will help plan for the future.
The once-a-decade national census survey will be conducted on Sunday 21 March this year.
The census is the gold-standard for information about society. It will ask questions about who Slough residents are and how we live to develop a picture of what is required in the future. This information is used by everyone from central and local government, charities and businesses.
Funding future adult social care demand is a key issue across the UK. In Slough, the adults and communities sector accounts for 42 per cent of the council’s spending.
Information about how many people in Slough have disability or age-related care needs will shape council and central government planning.
This year, the census will ask residents how many hours per week they provide any unpaid care and support to anyone with a long-term physical or mental health condition or illness, or problems related to old age.
Charlotte Spear, Slough’s census community engagement manager, said: “We know unpaid carers provide crucial services across the borough, supporting family and loved ones to with day-to-day tasks and emotional support.
“To make sure councils and their partners have the right provision in place, we need to know how many people across the borough provide unpaid care, and how many hours per week this takes.
“The census is the best place to get this information.”
Census 2021 is an apolitical survey which is not conducted by the council. The census is run by the Office for National Statistics, which is accountable to parliament only.
Households in Slough will soon receive a postcard from the Office for National Statistics, giving notice of the census. It will be followed by a letter which contains each household’s unique 16 digit code to complete the census online.
Residents can request a paper form if they cannot access the census online.
Because of its importance, the census has been mandatory for everyone present in the UK on census day since 1920.
Office for National Statistics field employees may visit residents who have not filled it in as a reminder to complete the survey. They will offer assistance to complete the survey as soon as possible after census day. Coronavirus precautions will be taken.
All census forms are securely collected and anonymised for 100 years. This means statistical analysis can be drawn from the document but no individual can be identified from the responses.
Census data cannot be used by the government or police for immigration or prosecution reasons, so everyone should take part, regardless of residency status.
Support to fill in the census will be available in multiple languages. It takes around 10 minutes per member of your household to fill in.
For more information about the census, how your information will be used, and how to get involved, visit the Census 2021 website.