Guidance

Statutory homelessness and rough sleeping statistics: User engagement strategy

User engagement strategy for statutory homelessness and rough sleeping statistics

• From: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Published: 28 July 2022

Applies to England

Our objective

We want to provide timely and useful statistics that present a coherent story across homelessness and rough sleeping in England, and that drives performance. We want our statistics to be accessible and responsive to feedback from our users, and we will set clear priorities for the development of our statistical products.

Our commitment to users

We will be clear about the production and release of our statistics by:

• Pre-announcing the time and date for the publication of our homelessness and rough sleeping statistics
• Publishing our statistics on the time and date pre-announced
• Publishing an accessible and easy to navigate technical note, which will include:
  • Methodology
  • Quality reports
  • Revisions policy
  • Comparison to related statistics
• We will meet the needs of our users by:
• Continuing to develop knowledge of our users, potential users, data providers, and their needs through regular communication and updates
• Continuing to ensure our statistical products are fit for purpose
• Developing a variety of methods to share and publicise our statistics
• Consulting with users on developments and changes to our statistical processes and methodologies and outputs
• Responding in a timely manner to questions and enquiries from our users and data providers

Our users

We know that users of our products include:

Central and local government

• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and other government departments
  • Policy teams
  • Operational teams
  • Analytical teams
  • Ministers
• Parliament, including MPs and House of Lords
• Local government, including local authorities

Wider users

• The media
• The public
• Think tanks, including those with a special interest in homelessness and rough sleeping policy
• The voluntary sector, including charities that support with homelessness and rough sleeping services
• Academics, researchers and students

How we engage with our users

• General enquiries can be sent directly to the homelessness and rough sleeping statistical teams:
  • HomelessnessStats@levellingup.gov.uk
  • HRSdata@levellingup.gov.uk
• Regular newsletters (please email above to be added to the mailing list)
• Regular surveys for general feedback on our statistical products
• Ad-hoc surveys for the development of specific new products
• Media enquiries: 0303 444 1209, newsdesk@levellingup.gov.uk
• Regular updates on developments of our methodologies and products in the technical notes that accompany our regular publications
• Attending the Central and Local Information Partnership for Housing (CLIP-H)

Published 28 July 2022