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1. Methodology
1.1 Methodology of the survey
As part of this study, OPM initially designed and piloted a web-based survey of carers. The questionnaire was piloted from December 2004 until February 2005. The survey link was widely publicised through a range of media and networks and carers were invited to respond.
In March 2005, the web-based survey was revised. Further to this, and in order to widen access to the survey, a postal questionnaire was printed and distributed to over 25,000 carers with a cover letter and stamped addressed return envelope.
The surveys were distributed with the assistance of over 50 voluntary sector and care organisations including six national organisations (covering mental health, learning disabilities, profound physical disabilities, Crossroads respite schemes and patient carers) and the rest at a regional and local level. Carers in every local and health authority were accessed, as were carers from all caring situations, from addiction to the frail and elderly.
The survey ended on 31 May 2005 and 4267 completed questionnaires were returned (3575 postal questionnaires and 692 web-based questionnaires). The completed questionnaires were sent to the market research agency Plus Four, for coding and analysis.
1.2 Methodological issues
- In the tables of survey results in this document, * denotes a value of above 0 but below 0.5 per cent. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to multiple responses or computer rounding.
- Owing to an extremely small number of responses from people of differing ethnic origin or sexual orientation, comparison between these subgroups proved meaningless and therefore has not been reported.
- Overall, the sample is weighted towards those carers who are in contact with voluntary sector and care organisations and is not a random sample of all carers.
1.3 Presentation of data
This report provides an account of the responses to the survey.
Throughout the report, for each survey question, main findings are reported first for the whole sample and then for subgroups of the sample. Subgroup findings are not given where results are not significantly different from the results overall.
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