PiT Counts, though designed to be minimally invasive, must nonetheless be conducted with the utmost respect and professionalism. Though volunteers deliver surveys, it is the responsibility of PiT Count organizers to ensure that all data is collected in accordance with ethical research guidelines. Be sure to cover these topics in volunteer training.  

A Focus on Youth

There are additional factors to consider when conducting research with youth experiencing homelessness. Common research practice dictates that parental consent is required for research participants under the age of 18. In some instances, youth 16 and over can participate in research without parental consent. For many homeless youth, seeking parental consent is neither feasible nor desirable. In recognition of this, York University – as part of its Guidelines for Conducting Research with People who are Homeless – has developed a series of recommendations for working specifically with youth.

Youth Count Research Guidelines

The COH strongly recommends that Youth Count organizers develop local guidelines for conducting research with youth. The guidelines should include such information as the minimum age of consent, interview protocol, assessing risk of harm and honoraria procedures.

In the Absence of Parental Consent

We recommend that youth aged 15 and over should participate in the Youth Count survey proivded they give their informed consent. Youth under 15 can be counted on the tally sheet but should not participate in the Youth Count Survey.

Youth participants must be given access to optional counselling services and support. In a sheltered setting, support for youth may be readily available. In unsheltered environments, magnet events or service counts, it is more difficult to provide immediate access to counselling. As such, we recommend that you have a number of qualified staff on-call during the count, should their services be required. In the event that a youth requests support, an outreach team or qualified service staff member should transport the youth to the required service(s).    

Duty to Report

According to Ontario law, the public must report any youth under the age of 16 who is in need of protection. This inclues children that are facing "physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, and rask of harm."

Challengingly, reporting youth who are experiencing homelessness to child protection services may have adverse consequences that are not in the best interests of the youth in question. For a more detailed explanation, refer to the Guidelines for Conducting Research with People who are Homeless. Based on your provincial laws and regulations, we recommend that you develop a protocol for Team Leaders, volunteers and service staff in the event they encounter youth under the age of 16 and/or youth at risk of harm. Do not put the onus on volunteers to determine whether to report a youth. 

Confidentiality

Youth Count surveys should be done anonymously and all data should be kept confidential. Prior to the count, develop a plan for keeping the paper surveys and electronic data secure. All volunteers should sign an Oath of Confidentiality prior to participation.

Due to the complexity of the Youth Count methodology, and the risk of count duplication, we recommend that you develop a unique identifier system. If you are requesting names or initials as part of this system, explain the purpose of the request, and reassure youth that the unique IDs will not be used in data analysis or reporting.

Honoraria/Engagement Items

In PiT Counts and other research, it is common to recognize the time and effort expended by research participants. Many communities offer honoraria to survey participants, following either participation or completion of the survey. Other communities offer gifts of engagement at the outset of interactions, given whether or not the individuals participate in the count. Providing an engagement gift, rather than an honorarium, removes the incentive for youth to participate in the Youth Count survey more than once.

Ask your Youth Subcommittee for honoraria/engagement gift ideas. Small gift cards for coffee shops and grocery stores may be welcome. Transit passes/tokens can also be useful. Please note: cash or gift cards of large sums can be counterproductive. A Youth Count is not a traditional, controlled research environment. High value honoraria can put volunteers and survey participants at risk and increase the likelihood of duplication.

Resource Cards

The Youth Count is a good opportunity to connect youth to services and support. We recommend creating a card or pamphlet that contains information about local youth services. Volunteers should distribute the cards generously.

Consult your Youth Count Committee and partners to create an inventory of services. Consider the following service areas: education, income support, housing, emergency services, health, LGBTQ2 services, Indigenous youth services, crisis centres, Kids Help Phone. Ask your Youth Subcommittee for further suggestions.

Other information to include:

• Brief description and purpose of the Youth Count
• Contact details for the Youth Count Coordinator
• A URL where the Youth Count findings will be made available and/or to subscribe to updates

More Information

Refer to the COH PiT Count Toolkit: Ethics and Informed Consent for more information on:

• Informed Consent
• Confidentiality
• Honoraria 

Building Alignment: Tips & Strategies

The minimum age of participation in general PiT Counts varies across Canada. In some communities, youth must be at least 18 to participate. In other communities, volunteers can survey youth as young as 15, provided proper supports are in place. Work with general PiT Count organizers to agree on a minimum age of participation and consent protocol. We strongly recommend that youth aged 15 and over be eligible to participate in the count. Youth under the age of 15 can be counted, on the tally sheet, but not surveyed.