Elwood Toy Library Members' Agreement

To become a member of Elwood Toy Library, it is important that you understand the rules and responsibilities of the Library.

Borrowing Guidelines

Members can borrow up to 6 toys, puzzles or games at one time.

Toys can be borrowed for up to 3 weeks. Toys can be renewed once for an extra 3 weeks, provided they are not overdue. Toys more than 2 months overdue will result in cancellation of membership.

Members should choose carefully to make sure the toys selected are appropriate for their child’s age. Members must check and count pieces for the items they are borrowing before leaving the Toy Library. If there are missing pieces or missing packaging, tell the person on duty and a note will be made on the toys record. Each toy, game and puzzle borrowed is listed on a printed receipt. This details the toy code, number of pieces, any damage or missing pieces and the due date for return.

Fines

Overdue toys incur a non-refundable fine of $1.00 per family per full week. Missing pieces are fined at $5.00 per piece/item of each toy, puzzle or game and $3.00 per packaging or guitar string. Fines for missing pieces are refunded when the pieces/items are returned.

Damaged or Lost Toys

While allowances are made for normal wear and tear, members are required to:

Pay for the cost of repair to an item if it is returned with significant damage; and
Contribute a reasonable sum towards the cost of replacement of an item if it is lost or returned in a condition beyond repair (such reasonable sum to be determined by the Elwood Toy Library Committee).

Roster Duty

Volunteers help run the Elwood Toy Library and membership requires each family to serve on a roster during open hours. The roster duty is 3 x 2.5 hours per year. Members can choose the time that best suits them by placing their name on the online roster at elwood.mibase.com.au (your member login will be emailed to you when you join the toy library). If you do need to swap sessions please let the co-ordinator know of the change. If you cannot make it on the day please let the co-ordinator know so that they can be prepared. You may also be asked to help with stocktaking and working bees or at events – helping at these goes towards your roster duty count.

Opening Times

The Toy Library is open each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9.30 to 11.30am. Please allow yourself at least 15 minutes before closing time for returning and borrowing toys as the Toy Library must close at 11.30am. The Toy Library is closed during Easter and Christmas holidays and on public holidays.

Toy Cleaning

As part of our Covid-safe plan approved by public health officials, all members are required to thoroughly clean their toys prior to returning them to the toy library. If you do not clean your toys at home, you will be requested to clean them in the toy library. We thank you for keeping all our members safe. Toy cleaning instructions are available here (pdf).

Elwood Toy Library - Waiver, Release and Indemnity for Bicycle and Scooters

Elwood Toy Library ("Provider") is pleased to make bicycles and scooters available to subscribers ("the Service").

As a subscriber to the Service you acknowledge that there are dangers and risks inherent with bicycle and scooter riding (the “Activity”) to which any child under your supervision ("Your Child") may be exposed.

The Provider does not provide protective clothing or bicycle helmets and it is your responsibility to ensure that Your Child wears a helmet at all times and is otherwise appropriately attired when participating in the Activity. You agree that Your Child will participate in the Activity at your own risk. You also agree to voluntarily assume responsibility for supervising the Activity and any injury, death or property damage you or Your Child may suffer or cause as a result of participating in the Activity.

To the maximum extent possible at law, you (both in your personal capacity and on behalf of Your Child) agree to release, hold harmless and indemnify the Provider and its respective officers, employees, servants, agents and contractors (the “Indemnified Persons”) against all actions, claims, suits, costs, expenses, demands and damages suffered or incurred by the Indemnified Persons or any one or more of them by reason of, or in respect of, or in any manner whatsoever arising out of, or caused by, your use of the Service or Your Child's participation in the Activity.

You agree that you are subscribing to the Service on the express condition that the Provider:

(a) will, under no circumstances be liable or responsible in any manner whatsoever for any death, loss, accident, damage or injury to you, Your Child or any of your servants, agents, contractors, visitors or invitees or any other person whatsoever (“Related Party”) which may happen as a result of your use of the Service or Your Child participating in the Activity; and

(b) will not incur or be under any liability whatsoever to you, Your Child, or to any Related Party for any loss, damage or injury to or in respect of any of your property or of any Related Party’s property.

The Provider is not liable to you, Your Child or any Related Party in respect of any indirect or consequential loss. For the avoidance of doubt, ‘consequential loss’ means loss or damage arising from a breach of contract, tort (including negligence), under statute or any other basis in law or equity of an indirect or consequential nature including, but without limitation, loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss or denial of opportunity, loss of goodwill, loss of business reputation, future reputation or publicity, damage to credit rating and indirect, remote, abnormal or unforeseeable loss, or any similar loss whether or not in the reasonable contemplation of the parties.

Elwood Toy Library Child Safe Policy

If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000.

Introduction

Elwood Toy Library is committed to promoting and protecting the interests and safety of children. We have zero tolerance for child abuse. We are committed to complying with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and all the compulsory minimum standards for organisations that provide services used by children and young people, to help protect children from harm.

Everyone working at Elwood Toy Library is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child abuse.

Application

This policy applies to all staff, contractors and volunteers and to the broad range of situations where interaction with children and young people may occur in the delivery of toy library services.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

ensure that all staff, contractors and volunteers engaged by Elwood Toy Library are aware of the organisation’s commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe environment that meets the required minimum standards
facilitate the prevention of child abuse within our organisation
establish the framework for an organisational culture of child safety
outline the responsibilities that various parties have for identifying possible occasions for child abuse, for establishing controls and procedures for preventing abuse, and for detecting abuse when it occur
provide guidance to staff, contractors and volunteers as to action that should be taken where they suspect any abuse within or outside of the organisation
provide a clear statement to staff, contractors and volunteers forbidding any such abuse
provide assurance that all suspected abuse will be reported and fully investigated

Our commitment to child safety

Elwood Toy Library is committed to promoting and protecting the best interests of children involved in its service, and to providing a child-safe and child-friendly environment for all children and young people who engage with the organisation. Our organisation is committed to complying with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and state child safety standards to help protect children and young people from harm.

All children, regardless of their gender, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, or family or social background, have equal rights to protection from abuse. We have zero tolerance for child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures.

Everyone working at Elwood Toy Library is responsible for the care and protection of the children using our services and reporting information about suspected child abuse.

Child protection is a shared responsibility between the Elwood Toy Library and all staff, contractors, volunteers, associates, and members of our community.

We will consider the opinions of children and use their opinions to develop child protection policies.

We respect all children and young people and support them to be safe, happy, and empowered.

We are committed to the cultural safety of children, and pay particular attention to the safety and cultural safety of the following groups of children, in recognition of their increased vulnerability, and diverse and unique identities and experiences:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
children living with a disability
children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans
children who are intersex, non-binary or gender diverse
children in and out of home care and the youth justice system

Our approach to child safety

In continuing to implement and promote a child-safe system of work, we will:

develop an environment in which children feel listened to and valued, and in which their concerns are acted upon, including encouraging and allowing children to participate in decisions important to them
consult with staff, contractors and volunteers and other appropriate parties, including families and children
assess and manage the risk of abuse to children who interact with our organisation, including through recruitment practices and online
take a proactive approach to child safety, including fostering a culture of openness that encourages all staff, contractors and volunteers to report any concerns of child safety and supports them in this process
report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authority, whether or not the law requires reporting
ensure children know the options available to them if they are concerned or feeling unsafe, and foster an environment where children are safe to raise such concerns
recruit staff, contractors and volunteers who are suitable to work with children and provide high quality training, supervision and professional development to staff, contractors and volunteers as appropriate.
have policies, procedures and supports in place to reflect these commitments, and review these regularly

Authorised by Zoe Tovey
Secretary, Elwood Toy Library
11 April 2024

Elwood Toy Library Code of conduct

Staff, volunteers and contractors at Elwood Toy Library are required to abide by this Code of Conduct.

Elwood Toy Library recognises, respects and promotes its responsibilities to keep children safe from abuse, and commits to ensuring the safety of children as a first priority. We value diversity and will not tolerate child abuse or discriminatory practices.

The Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce opportunities for child abuse or harm to occur. It is intended to complement Elwood Toy Library’s other related policies.

The Code of Conduct applies to the broad range of situations where interaction with children and young people may occur in the delivery of our services, including through digital technology and social media.

The President, will:

be responsible for the overall welfare and wellbeing of staff and volunteers
be accountable for managing and maintaining a duty of care towards staff and volunteers
act as our child safety officer to provide information and support to all staff, volunteers, children, young people and their carers regarding child safety matters.

All people involved in Elwood Toy Library's service will:

work towards achieving the aims and purposes of the organisation
take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse and harm
establish and maintain a child-safe environment for children and young people
be fair, considerate and honest in their dealings with others
work with children in an open and transparent way
treat children and young people with respect and value their ideas and opinions
encourage children to participate in matters important to them
act as positive role models in their conduct with children and young people and model appropriate adult behaviour
listen to children and respond to their needs appropriately
be professional in their actions
maintain strict impartiality
not exhibit behaviours with children which may be construed as unnecessarily physical
respect the privacy of children and their families and carers, and disclose information about them only to people who have a need to know
operate within the policies and guidelines of Elwood Toy Library including adhering to the Child Safety Policy, at all times
report any allegations of child abuse to the President
contact the police if a child is at immediate risk of abuse (phone 000)

Staff, volunteers and contractors shall work to prevent discrimination and actively promote the participation and inclusion of all children, recognising in particular:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
children with a disability
children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans
children who are intersex, non-binary or gender diverse
children in and out of home care and the youth justice system.

Staff, volunteers and contractors shall not:

shame, humiliate, oppress, belittle or degrade children or young people
unlawfully discriminate against any child or young person, including because of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or disability
seek to use children in any way to meet the needs of adults
ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosure of child abuse or harm
engage in any activity with a child or young person that is likely to physically or emotionally harm them
initiate unnecessary physical contact with a child or young person, or do things of a personal nature for them that they can do for themselves
be alone with a child or young person unnecessarily and for more than a very short time
develop a “special” relationship with a specific child or young person for their own needs
show favouritism through the provision of gifts or inappropriate attention
arrange contact, including online contact, with children or young people outside of the toy library’s activities
have unauthorised contact with children and young people in person, online or by phone
photograph or video a child or young person without the consent of the child and their parents or guardians
work with children or young people while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs
engage in open discussions of a mature or adult nature in the presence of children
use inappropriate language or behaviour, including discriminatory or oppressive language or behaviour, in the presence of children
do anything in contravention of the organisation’s policies, procedures or this Code of Conduct.

Consequences of breaching the Code of Conduct

A breach of this Code of Conduct by a staff member, contractor or volunteer may result in disciplinary action being taken against them in accordance with our policies, including and up to termination of employment or cessation of engagement or membership with the organisation.

In addition matters that indicate potential criminal conduct may be reported to police for investigation.

Authorised by Zoe Tovey
Secretary, Elwood Toy Library
11 April 2024