Hotel Piast | Hotel Piast Nysa

Standards for the Protection of Minors

Standards for the Protection of Minors

I. PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

1. In accordance with the legal obligation arising from the Act of 13 May 2016 on counteracting threats of sexual crime and protecting minors, and to ensure appropriate protection for minors during their stay at Hotel Piast in Nysa, these "Standards for the Protection of Minors" (hereinafter referred to as the Standards) are introduced.

2. The Standards for the Protection of Minors at Hotel Piast in Nysa are implemented based on the following principles:

Hotel Piast in Nysa conducts its operations with respect for children's rights as individuals particularly vulnerable to harm.
Hotel Piast in Nysa acknowledges its role in conducting socially responsible business and promoting desirable social attitudes.
Hotel Piast in Nysa emphasizes the importance of the legal and social duty to report to law enforcement any suspected crime against children and commits to training its staff in this area.

3. Whenever the Standards refer to:

Hotel Piast – refers to the Hotel and Gastronomy Team "Piast", located at Bolesława Krzywoustego 14, 48-300 Nysa, REGON: 531111636, NIP: 753-001-14-46.
Facility – refers to the hotel facility of Hotel Piast in Nysa.
Entrepreneur – refers to the person managing the Hotel on behalf of Hotel Piast in Nysa.
Employee – refers to a person who is part of the Hotel staff, regardless of the legal basis for their work at the Hotel.
Minor – refers to a person under 18 years of age.
Child's Guardian – refers to the legal representative of the child: parent or guardian; foster parent; temporary guardian.
Unrelated Adult – refers to any person over 18 years of age who is not the child's parent or legal guardian.
Coordinator – refers to an employee of the human resources department.
Child Abuse – refers to behavior that may constitute a criminal offense against a child by any person, including a member of the hotel staff, or endanger the child's welfare, including neglect; any intentional or unintentional act/omission by an individual, institution, or society as a whole, and any result of such act or omission that violates the rights, freedoms, and personal well-being of children and/or disrupts their optimal development.

4. At every stage of implementing procedures resulting from the Standards, it should be remembered that they may cause inconvenience to hotel guests; therefore, understanding should be shown for guests' reactions to the above and the necessity, both factual and legal, of conducting these procedures in the Hotel should be explained. However, a hotel guest's reaction cannot be a reason to deviate from the procedures.

5. All procedures provided for in the Standards should be applied proportionally to the situation and in a rational manner.

6. Hotel employees should, in their interactions with minors, consider their level of emotional and intellectual development, and in cases where the minor is a person with disabilities or special educational needs, this circumstance should also be taken into account.

II. PRINCIPLE OF EMPLOYING PERSONS TO WORK WITH CHILDREN AND PRINCIPLES OF SAFE EMPLOYEE – CHILD RELATIONS

1. Hotel Piast in Nysa commits to educating its employees about circumstances that may indicate a child staying at the facility is being harmed, as well as methods of quickly and appropriately responding to such situations. The facility may provide such education through various forms of training, e.g., external and internal training, e-learning, educational materials developed by the hotel and available to employees, and free educational materials developed by other organizations.

2. Every employee, before being allowed to work, is acquainted with the Child Protection Standards, which is confirmed by a signed declaration and a commitment to follow the rules and procedures contained in this document.

3. Individuals working with children must demonstrate in their employment history that they have never harmed a child in the past.

4. Every person employed or delegated to work with children must be checked in the Register of Sex Offenders. This also applies to underage employees, i.e., under the age of 18.

5. Every employee, before being allowed to work, is acquainted with the Child Protection Standards, which is confirmed by a signed declaration and a commitment to follow the rules and procedures contained in this document.

6. Employees working with children are subject to regular training, which is documented by the employer.

7. Hotel Piast in Nysa commits to considering the situation of children with disabilities and children with special educational needs, adjusting the guidelines from Appendix No. 14 to the specifics and scope of the facility’s operations.

8. When using services of external entities, Hotel Piast in Nysa includes a relevant clause in the agreement with the entity, enabling enforcement of an appropriate standard by Hotel Piast in Nysa regarding the verification of employees’ safety for children. This clause enables Hotel Piast in Nysa to control the fulfillment of this obligation under penalty of immediate termination of the contract and a contractual penalty or other sanctions for non-compliance.

9. All employees of Hotel Piast in Nysa, as well as other adults who have contact with children on the premises, are obliged to follow the Principles of Safe Employee – Child Relations if such contact is approved by the facility.

10. The fundamental principle of all actions taken by employees in contact with children at Hotel Piast in Nysa is to treat the child with respect, taking into account their dignity and needs.

11. It is unacceptable for employees and other adults to use violence against a child in any form that exceeds the interactions justified by their hotel duties.

III. RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFYING A MINOR STAYING AT THE HOTEL AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE ADULT THEY ARE WITH

1. The identification of a minor and their relationship to the adult they are staying with at the hotel is carried out by the hotel reception staff. They take all possible steps to verify the identity of the child and the nature of their relationship with the accompanying adult. This identification is based on the documents of the minor and the adult staying with them at the hotel. If documents are not available, the identification is based on a conversation with the adult and the minor. If the adult is not the child’s parent or legal guardian, they must be asked to present a document such as a notarized written consent from the parent for the person to travel with the child, or a written and signed parental consent including the child’s personal data, home address, parent’s contact number, and the ID/PESEL number of the accompanying adult. If the adult cannot provide such documents, they must fill out a relevant declaration form prepared by the hotel. The form should include the child’s and adult’s personal data, and a statement describing the relationship between them. If the adult is not the parent or legal guardian, they must declare that the parents/legal guardians have given their consent for the adult to take care of the child.

2. If during the procedure described in item 1 the receptionist has any doubts regarding the relationship between the minor and the accompanying adult, they must notify the Hotel Director/manager and security staff. Both the minor and the adult should remain under observation by hotel staff during this time.

3. During the conversation with the minor, special attention must be paid to ensure the child can speak freely and without pressure, especially making sure the adult does not answer questions on behalf of the child. If the adult obstructs communication with the minor or puts pressure on them, even by their presence alone, they must be asked to leave the room during the interview. A second hotel employee should also be present during the conversation.

IV. PROCEDURE IN CASE OF CIRCUMSTANCES INDICATING CHILD ABUSE BY AN ADULT

1. If an employee has a justified suspicion that a child staying in the facility is or has been abused, they should immediately inform their supervisor/decision-maker, who then notifies the police. If the child is in immediate danger, the employee must call the police directly by dialing 112 and describing the situation.

2. A justified suspicion of child abuse arises especially when the hotel employee observes circumstances indicating possible harm, sees visible signs of abuse on the child, or when the child directly informs about the abuse.

3. Efforts should be made to hinder or prevent both the child and the suspected perpetrator from leaving the facility.

4. If permitted by the Code of Criminal Procedure, a citizen’s arrest may be carried out. Until the police arrive, the detained person should be supervised by security or another hotel staff member without endangering their own health or life.

5. The child’s safety must be ensured in every case. If possible, the child should remain in the care of a staff member until the police arrive.

6. After notifying the police, hotel employees should ensure that the child and the suspected adult do not leave the premises and that potential evidence is preserved (e.g., surveillance footage).

7. In urgent situations, every employee is authorized and obligated to notify the police.

V. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE CHILD PROTECTION STANDARDS

1. The Hotel Director appoints a person responsible for preparing employees to implement these Standards, outlining their competencies and duties. Contact details are displayed in an accessible place for both staff and hotel guests, including children.

2. The Coordinator mentioned above shall monitor and evaluate the Standards every two years.

3. Monitoring and evaluation involve checking the implementation of the Standards, responding to any reported breaches, and suggesting updates to reflect current needs and legal regulations.

VI. FINAL PROVISIONS

1. The Child Protection Standards come into force on 08.2024.

2. The Standards are made available to all employees via the website https://www.hotel-piast.com.pl and at the hotel reception.

3. The Standards are also available to adult guests of Hotel Piast in Nysa in the same manner.

4. A simplified and child-friendly version of the Standards is provided in a visible and accessible place within the hotel for minors.