Library Rules & Policies

Foreword the Baybayin Library is committed to ensuring the protection, safety and well-being of the children with whom it works. This Child Protection Policy (CPP) sets out the principles and standards of conduct expected of all staff, employees, volunteers and trainees of the association when working with Baybayin Library, both during and outside working hours. Everyone must commit to respecting this CPP to ensure a safe and caring environment for every child. 

Article 1: Respect for children’s rights

Any person working at the Baybayin Library, whether as a member of staff, a volunteer or a trainee, must : 

1.1. Recognise the fundamental rights of children in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. For the purposes of the present document, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. 

1.2. Undertake to respect and promote the dignity, integrity, privacy and freedom of every child without discrimination. 

1.3. Treat all children equally, regardless of race, gender, religion, social status, ethnic origin, disability or any other characteristic. 

Article 2: Commitment to safety and protection 

Any person working at the Baybayin Library, whether as a member of staff, a volunteer or a trainee, must : 

2.1. Ensure safety: Ensure the safety of children and protect them from all forms of violence – physical, mental and psychological – exploitation, neglect or abuse. 

2.2. Reporting suspicions: Any suspicion of abuse – within the Library, outside the Library, at school or at home – must be reported immediately to the Baybayin Library’s managers. 

Article 3: Respectful and ethical conduct

Any person working at the Baybayin Library, whether as a member of staff, a volunteer or a trainee, must: 

3.1. Adopt a respectful, caring and appropriate attitude towards children. Staff and volunteers must adopt a respectful, caring attitude that is adapted to each situation. Although physical contact requires a cautious approach to avoid any misunderstandings or discomfort, it is important to recognise that some children naturally initiate gestures of closeness, such as sitting on a facilitator’s lap, coming over for a cuddle to say hello or seek comfort. In such cases, it is important not to push the child away, while ensuring that the situation remains appropriate, limited in time and respectful of everyone’s personal limits. These situations must be carefully managed to avoid any ambiguity or misinterpretation by observers, the child or the child’s family. However, it is essential that team members refrain from initiating physical contact themselves, such as hugging, cuddling or similar gestures, in order to ensure a clear and professional relational framework. As part of the care given to children, for example to treat minor injuries or to provide hygiene care for the youngest, it may be necessary to touch the child in order to provide the care required. In these cases, the gestures must be strictly limited to what is necessary to provide the care, while taking care to respect the child’s dignity and limits. 

3.2. Maintaining appropriate language and behaviour. Any inappropriate, humiliating or intimidating language or behaviour is strictly prohibited. 

3.3. Prohibit any suggestive or sexual relationship with children. Any sexual relationship or suggestive behaviour towards children or beneficiaries is strictly prohibited. 

3.4. Avoid isolation. Never be alone with a particular child, away from others or in private places. 

3.5. Never invite a child into a closed room or into your home. It is imperative never to be alone with a child in a closed space and to avoid inviting children into your own home. 

3.6. Apply the “two adults” rule. Wherever possible, the presence of two adults should be ensured in all interactions with children, in order to guarantee their safety, prevent any risk of misunderstanding and create a transparent framework. However, it is recognised that certain situations, such as classes, tutoring classes or activities led by a single adult, do not always allow this rule to be strictly applied.

In these cases, it is essential: 

• That the adult in charge adopts a professional and transparent stance, maintaining clear limits in interactions with the children.
• Those activities are organised in open or visible spaces, allowing indirect supervision by other team members or adults in the vicinity.
• Adults should inform their managers or colleagues of any exceptional situations in which they might find themselves alone with a child, and limit these circumstances as much as possible. The aim remains to guarantee a safe and protective environment, while recognising the practical realities of the various activities organised for children. 

3.7. Avoid favouritism. It is strictly forbidden to give preferential treatment to a child, for example by offering gifts or money, to the detriment of other children. 

3.8. Prohibit contact outside the Library. Contact with children outside the Library is strictly prohibited, except in certain situations requiring direct interventions with children in their school, family, or private environments, particularly as part of social work with the family. For example, these may include verifying living conditions, assessing the health of a child or family member, ensuring the child’s safety, or following up on a case of abuse. These interventions may only take place with prior authorisation from the parents and/or the Baybayin Library’s managers. 

In these specific cases, authorised social workers or team members or interns/volunteers must: 

• Adopt a strictly professional attitude, focusing on the objectives of the intervention.
• Informing the association’s management in advance of planned visits and their objectives.
• Respect boundaries and confidentiality in their interactions with children and their families.
• Document each intervention in a transparent manner, indicating the relevant observations and conclusions.
• Always – if circumstances allow – arrange to follow the “2 adults present” rule from the team. If this is not possible, the Baybayin Library’s manager must be informed beforehand of the situation and the urgent nature of the intervention carried out by a single team member, volunteer, or intern. 

These interactions must be conducted with the utmost sensitivity and rigour, respecting the rights and dignity of children and families while guaranteeing their protection. 

3.9. Maintain clear emotional boundaries. In the context of child support and protection, it is essential to:

• Respect emotional boundaries and maintain a caring but clearly supervised relationship.
• Avoid names or nicknames that could suggest inappropriate parental, emotional or intimate ties, and that could be misinterpreted by observers, by the child himself or herself, or by his or her family. This choice also protects caregivers by enabling them to build relationships based on trust, respect and support, without ambiguity or confusion.

Article 4: Confidentiality and respect for privacy

Any person working at the Baybayin Library, whether as a member of staff, a volunteer or as a trainee, must: 

4.1. Protect beneficiaries’ personal information. Personal information about children, such as their family situation, medical condition or any other sensitive details, must be treated with the utmost confidentiality. 

This information must not be divulged to persons outside the association without prior authorisation, and even within the team, its sharing must be strictly limited to content that is useful and relevant to the members directly involved in monitoring the child or in a specific intervention. Volunteers and trainees do not have access to this confidential data, unless this is necessary to carry out a clearly defined mission approved by the managers. 

However, any information gathered by trainees, volunteers or team members about a child, whether it concerns his or her personal, educational, medical, social or family situation, must be passed on to the Baybayin Library’s management as soon as possible. This makes it possible to: 

• Ensure appropriate monitoring of the child, taking the necessary measures to guarantee his or her safety, well-being and development.
• Centralise useful or sensitive information, so that the Baybayin Library can process it in a structured and confidential manner.
• Prevent any risk of omission or inaction, particularly in urgent or critical situations.

These guidelines ensure that children’s personal information is managed rigorously and ethically, while respecting their dignity and right to confidentiality. 

4.2. Distribute images with consent: Refrain from distributing photographs, videos or other recordings of children without the prior written consent of the Baybayin Library’s management. Ensure that the images respect the dignity and privacy of the children.

Article 5: Reporting inappropriate behaviour

Any person working at the Baybayin Library, whether as a member of staff, a volunteer or a trainee, must: 

5.1. Comply with the duty to report: Immediately report any inappropriate behaviour or cases of abuse – within or outside the Library – to the organization’s managers. 

5.2. Trust in the handling of reports: Know that every report will be treated seriously and discreetly by the Baybayin Library.

All employees, volunteers and interns of the Baybayin Library undertake to respect this charter to ensure a safe and respectful environment. This charter will be periodically revised to adapt to the needs and changes in child protection practices. 

Regarding the use of images of children for purposes related to work or activities conducted under the direction of the Baybayin Library, any person working at the Baybayin Library, whether as a member of staff, a volunteer or a trainee, must :

• Learn about local customs and restrictions before photographing or filming children or reproducing personal images of children, to assess them, and to comply with them.
• Obtain the informed consent of the child as well as that of the child’s parents or guardian before photographing or filming the child. In this regard, in particular, explain to them how the photographs or films taken will be used.
• Ensure that the photographs, films, videos, and DVDs produced portray children in a dignified and respectful manner, and not in a state of vulnerability or submission. Children must be appropriately dressed and not in poses that could be considered sexually suggestive.
• Ensure that the images produced are honest representations of the context in which they were taken and do not distort the facts.
• Ensure that file labels, metadata, or descriptions included in the text accompanying images depicting children do not provide information that could identify them when such images are sent electronically or published through any medium.
• Avoid showing children’s faces to protect their anonymity and prevent the use of their image for immoral or malicious purposes.
• Avoid posting photos in a live feed or direct manner so that the children in the photos cannot be tracked in real time.

Examples of photos that allow to hide children’s faces and keep them interesting :