ONS begins census field staff recruitment

The ONS is initially recruiting 200 census engagement managers across England and Wales, with a total of 30,000 field staff to be recruited for the census.

The primary role of census engagement managers is to build links with community organisations, local leaders and charities to help more people take part in the survey, raise awareness and provide practical support.

Later this month, the ONS will also start recruiting for community advisors, whose role will be to engage specific communities identified as needing more support to participate.

The census takes place on 21st March 2021 across the UK. The ONS is responsible for the census in England and Wales, while the National Records of Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) look after the surveys in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

The ONS is reviewing alternatives to the current census, which takes place every 10 years. It is planning to make a recommendation on the future of the census in 2023.