Wiltshire Household Survey 2009
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I have to do the survey?
The Survey is not compulsory, but it would greatly help Wiltshire Assembly, Wiltshire Council and their partners in planning and monitoring services if you do
I do not want to do the survey!
If you do not want to do the survey, that’s fine it is not compulsory at all. Please dispose of the forms by recycling them.
Who in my house needs to complete it? Can we all do it?
Anyone living in your household aged 18 and over can fill in the questionnaire, although we can accept just one questionnaire per household
Can I give it to a friend/relative/colleague to complete?
Your address has been selected at random to give a broad cross section of the Wiltshire population. Please don’t pass this to anyone else if they do not live in your household.
Can I bring it in by hand to save postage costs?
The envelopes provided use a freepost address and do not cost respondents a penny. Wiltshire Council is employing an experienced data processing firm based near Bristol to collect and input these results and questionnaires should go directly to them. Please use the supplied freepost envelope or return the questionnaires to the freepost address given on the back of the survey form.
Can I give you my answers over the phone or fill in the form on the internet?
Unfortunately, due to concerns over the confidentiality of these methods and the additional costs, Wiltshire Council has decided not to use them for this survey, but given advances in technology, this survey may well employ them in the future.
How did you choose me to send the survey to?
Your address was chosen at random from the Postcode Address File. Wiltshire Council then selected at random a smaller group of addresses to better represent the Wiltshire population.
How long will the data be stored?
The electronic data will be stored indefinitely although this will not contain any personal details that could identify you as an individual. Your (paper) survey form will be stored securely for two years and then destroyed in line with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct.
Who will have access to the data?
The results will be published at a Wiltshire-wide level in the spring of 2010 once they have been analysed. Only trained researchers at Wiltshire Council will have access to the full data and no data that identifies you will be passed on to any other agency or organisation.
Will my details be passed to the council tax people or the electoral roll or phone book etc?
This survey and the answers to all questions remain strictly confidential as governed by the Data Protection Act and all staff members at Wiltshire Council’s Research Centre adhere to the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct. The answers will in no way be used to identify you – Wiltshire Council in fact has no record of your name. This data will not be passed on to any outside organisations or third parties.
Do I need to put a stamp on the envelope?
The return envelopes use a Freepost address and do not need a stamp. If you need a new freepost envelope, please let us know your address and we will send one to you.
How can I recycle unwanted surveys/letters/?
Please take your paper for recycling to your local recycling centre, or if you currently receive a doorstep recycling service, please use that as normal.
Do all councils have to do this?
Because Wiltshire Council values the feedback we receive through resident surveys such as these, we choose to carry them out even though we are not required to do so. With the recent changes to the way local government in Wiltshire is organised, we are keen to hear what people think.
How often is the survey carried out?
Because of the cost of carrying out surveys like this, Wiltshire Council only does this every two years.
I'm already on the People's Voice panel why have I got to fill this out as well?
This survey is different from the regular People’s Voice surveys that Wiltshire Council sends out in that it will ask a different set of questions and can be used to help compare Wiltshire Council with other authorities. Whilst we chose not to use the entire People’s Voice panel for this survey, your details will have come from the Postcode Address File. Please fill in the form anyway and return it in the freepost envelope.
Where and when can I find out about the results?
The results will be posted on the Wiltshire Council website in due course – we expect in the spring, 2010.
I don't know my ethnicity; what do I do?
There is a list of 16 possible different ethnicities covering many different options. Please select the one that best describes your ethnicity.
I've just moved here; do I need to do the survey?
We’re interested to hear the views of all Wiltshire residents, regardless of the length of stay, so please fill in the questionnaire based on your experiences of Wiltshire so far.
I normally live elsewhere; do I need to do the survey?
If you are not normally resident in Wiltshire, please do not answer this questionnaire.
I want to add more comments than there are space for in the box (Q37); what do I do?
If your comments exceed the space we have provided, please feel free to continue on a separate piece of paper, making sure it is securely attached to the questionnaire.
Why don't results go to Wiltshire Council / Who are Wyman Dillon?
The results from this survey go directly to a firm of experienced data processors, called Wyman Dillon, who have handled data from surveys carried out in Wiltshire for many years. The most economical way to do this is for your forms to be sent directly to their offices near Bristol using the supplied freepost envelope.
This has made me interested in local/council affairs - how do I get involved?
One way to become further involved is to become a member of the Peoples’ Voice, Wiltshire’s citizens’ panel. Up to four times per year, we will send you a questionnaire asking about your views on council services and your experiences of living in Wiltshire. For further information and application forms please give send your name & address to the People’s Voice coordinator, Phil Morgan on 01225 713186 or philip.morgan@wiltshire.gov.uk.
Why isn't the survey done on the phone/in person/on-line? Isn't that cheaper?
Unfortunately, due to concerns over the confidentiality of telephone or on-line survey methods, Wiltshire Council chooses to not use those methods for this survey, but given advances in technology, this survey may well employ them in the future. In the past Wiltshire Council has used a market research company to carry out face to face interviews around Wiltshire and we have found them, in fact, to be very expensive.
What is the purpose of the Wiltshire Household Survey?
Surveys like these help Wiltshire Assembly and Wiltshire Council to monitor the level and quality of the services provided in Wiltshire. Wiltshire Council will use the results ourselves to help monitor our own services and ensure the high quality of these is maintained.
Why does Wiltshire Council have to do this survey?
Wiltshire Council is not required to carry out surveys like this but chooses to do so to help monitor residents’ satisfaction of the services it provides and ensure the high quality of these is maintained. Wiltshire Council can also use these results as a comparison of its performance with other authorities.
How big is the survey?
Wiltshire Council is surveying 6,000 households around Wiltshire as part of this survey.
How much does this survey cost the council tax payer?
The current estimate of cost will be in the order of £7,500. Wiltshire Council believes it is important to monitor the opinions of Wiltshire residents and uses the results to help improve local services, therefore we believe surveys like this offer value for money. We have done all that we can to keep costs to a minimum.
What will the results be used for?
Surveys like these help both Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Assembly to monitor the level and quality of the services provided. Wiltshire Council will use the results ourselves to help monitor our own services and ensure the high quality of these is maintained.
Will the result be anonymous?
Your name will not be recorded anywhere on the questionnaire or against Wiltshire Council’s administrative records. All results will be completely anonymous and handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
I don’t want to fill in the (e.g.) ethnicity section!
No part of the questionnaire is compulsory, so if there is a question, either in the personal details section or in the rest of the survey you do not wish to answer, for any reason, please feel free to leave it out.
I don’t have the return envelope, where do I get a new one?
The freepost address to send completed forms to is found on the back of the questionnaire itself or please provide your name and address and we will send a new one to you.
Where do I get a large print / foreign language version from?
Alternative versions of the survey are available in a large print format or a range of languages and can be ordered from Phil Morgan on 01225 713186 or by contacting philip.morgan@wiltshire.gov.uk
I never use the library / museum / planning service, etc.; do I still have to answer the question about how satisfied I am? This happens at Q8 & Q9 concerning use of services.
Please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge, based on your own experiences of these services. These might come from personal experience or those of your family or friends.
For further information or queries not covered here, please contact our Customer Care Unit on 01225 713000 or email customerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk putting “Wiltshire Household Survey” in the subject box
Last updated: 27 August 2009