SOM - CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES AT REZYDENT RESORT IN ŚWINOUJŚCIE

Considering the content of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, recognizing the important role of business in ensuring respect for children's rights, especially the right to protect their dignity and freedom from all forms of harm, REZYDENT RESORT adopts this document as a model of principles and procedures in case of suspicion that a child staying at REZYDENT RESORT is being harmed and to prevent such threats.

We will implement the child protection policy in our facility through the following principles.

1. REZYDENT RESORT conducts its operational activities with the utmost respect for human rights, especially children's rights as individuals particularly vulnerable to harm.

2. REZYDENT RESORT acknowledges its role in conducting socially responsible business and promoting desirable social attitudes.

3. REZYDENT RESORT particularly emphasizes the importance of the legal and social obligation to notify law enforcement authorities of any suspected crime against children and commits to training its staff in this regard.

4. REZYDENT RESORT commits to educating staff about circumstances indicating that a child staying at the facility may be harmed and about ways to respond quickly and appropriately to such situations.

5. One form of effectively preventing child harm is identifying the child staying in the facility and his/her relationship to the adult with whom they are staying. The staff takes all possible steps to identify the child and their relationship with the adult present in the facility.

Procedure in case of suspicion of child abuse

1. Whenever possible, the identification of the child and his/her relationship with the adult accompanying them in the facility should be made.

2. In unusual and/or suspicious situations indicating possible risk of child harm, identification is mandatory and carried out by the reception staff.

3. To identify the child and his/her relationship with the accompanying person, the following should be done:

a. Ask about the child's identity and the relationship between the child and the person who arrived at or stays in the facility. For this purpose, you may request the child's identity document or another document confirming that the adult has the right to care for the child at the facility. If there is no identity document, you may request the child's details (name, surname, address, PESEL number).

b. If there are no documents indicating kinship between the child and the adult, ask both the adult and the child about this relationship.

c. If the adult is not the parent or legal guardian of the child, ask if they have a document proving parental consent for the adult to travel together with the child, e.g. a written statement.

d. If the adult does not have such a parental consent document, request the phone number of the parents mentioned above to call and confirm the child's stay in the facility with an unrelated adult, with the knowledge and consent of the parents/legal guardians.

4. In case of resistance from the adult to show the child's document and/or indicate the relationship, explain that the procedure serves to ensure the safety of children and has been developed in cooperation with non-governmental organizations working in this field.

5. After positive clarification of the matter, thank them for the time spent ensuring that the child is under good care and emphasize once again that the procedure aims to ensure children's safety.

6. If the conversation does not remove doubts regarding the adult's intentions to harm the child, discreetly inform the supervisor and security personnel (if they are on-site). To avoid suspicion, you may, for example, refer to the need to use equipment behind the reception, asking the adult to wait with the child in the lobby, restaurant, or another place.

7. From the moment doubts arise, both the child and the adult should be under constant staff observation and not be left alone.

8. The supervisor who has been informed of the situation decides whether to notify the police or, in case of doubts, takes over the conversation with the suspicious adult to obtain further explanations.

9. If the conversation confirms suspicion of an attempt or commission of a crime against the child, the supervisor notifies the police. The procedure in case of indications of child harm is then followed.

10. If unusual and/or suspicious situations are witnessed by staff from other departments of the facility (e.g., cleaning service, room service, bar and restaurant staff, relaxation zone, security, etc.), they should immediately inform their supervisor, who will decide on appropriate actions.

11. Depending on the situation and place, the supervisor verifies the validity of the suspicion of child harm. For this purpose, appropriate measures to clarify the situation are selected, or a decision is made to intervene and notify the police.

Procedure in case of circumstances indicating child harm

1. With justified suspicion that a child staying in the facility is being harmed, you should immediately notify the police by calling 112 and describing the circumstances of the incident. Depending on the dynamics and circumstances, the call is made by the person who is a direct witness of the event (employee/supervisor). If the reporter is an employee, they simultaneously inform their supervisor.

2. Justified suspicion of child abuse occurs when:

a. the child has disclosed to the facility employee that they are being harmed,

b. the employee observed harm,

c. the child bears marks of harm (e.g., scratches, bruises) and gives inconsistent and/or chaotic answers or becomes embarrassed and/or there are other circumstances that may indicate harm, e.g., finding pornographic materials involving children in the adult's room.

3. In this situation, the child and the person suspected of harming the child should be prevented from leaving the facility.

4. In justified cases, a citizen's detention of the suspected person may be made. In such a case, until the police arrive, two employees should supervise this person in a separate room away from the view of other guests.

5. In all cases, the child's safety must be ensured. The child should remain under the care of an employee until the police arrive.

6. In justified suspicion of a crime related to the child's contact with the perpetrator's biological material, efforts should be made to prevent the child from washing or eating/drinking until the police arrive.

7. After the child is taken by the police, secure surveillance footage and other important evidence (e.g., documents) related to the incident and, upon request of the authorities, provide copies by registered mail or personally to the prosecutor or police.

8. After the intervention, describe the incident in the incident log or another appropriate document.

Employment of persons working with children

1. All persons working with children must be safe for them, which means, among other things, that their employment history should show that they have not harmed any child in the past.

2. Every person employed by the facility to work related to education, recreation, and care of children must be compulsorily checked in the Registry of Offenders with a Sexual Offense Background. Checking is done by printing the search results of the person in the Register with limited access, which is then placed in the employee's personnel file. The check should be repeated yearly. The scope of personal data necessary for the check is found in Annex No. 3.

3. All employees working with children, including those who may have potential contact with children, should submit a statement of no criminal record and confirmation that no proceedings for offenses against children are pending.