They're 'avin' a larf!

So, I was contacted today by one of the straight white women from the fostering panel booked for tomorrow. She apologised, but told me that the panel will now be delayed for another week.

Of course, I asked "why?" and was given a 'newspeak' answer which, even after a repeat when I said I didn't understand, I didn't understand. They spoke about 'ensuring a robust procedure'... They tried to present it as if they were doing me some kind of favour! It was something about the way that the images that were questioned had been identified. 

I asked if there was any point in the delay as it seemed suspiciously to me as though a decision had aleady been made and I would prefer not to go through the experience just for the sake of their procedures. I was assured that was not the case. The person with whom I spoke said they were an advisor to the panel and that they had endorsed my application. LOL that's two of them who have privately told me they have endorsed my application.

It is very hard for me to trust them- because of my long experience with public sector agencies and my particular experience with this one in particular. They are very likely to pursue illogical actions to maintain loyalty to procedures that don't always work in the real world. They seem to be seeking to earn points with/over each other rather than to deliver a robust service! They have the sorts of jobs where initiative and innovation are discouraged and where they are rewarded by their abilities to slavishly follow 'the rules'.

I never anticipated this happening, it was not one of the myriad hypothetical scenarios that came up and I am totally floored by it. I was asked if I 'minded' the postponement. What a stupid question! I replied that it was clearly irrelevant given the reality of the circumstances. 

If/when this interview happens, THEY will be under as much scrutiny from me as me from them. If they reject me, I will challenge them for details before I challenge their decision- not for it to be overturned- I prefer not to work/associate with people who don't want me, but I WILL fight for the priniciple of the matter. Then I will go to another fostering agency. I will also reverse all the promotion I've been doing to encourage more LGBTQ people to consider fostering- at least for Newcastle and tell them that they are likely to experience discrimination. It also occurs to me that for such an important gatekeeping body, it is unacceptable that it is so monocultural.

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