STANDARDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS AT WARSZAUER HOTEL (“STANDARDS”)

 

In order to protect minors who, due to their age and psychophysical development, deserve special care, these Standards are adopted. They define the necessary procedures and guidelines for the protection of minors against harm and crimes committed to their detriment that may occur on the premises of the Hotel.

 

 

§ 1. Introductory provisions

 

1. These Standards for the Protection of Minors ("Standards") applicable on the premises of the WARSZAUER HOTEL („Hotel”), specify in particular:
   a)  rules ensuring safe relations between the entity's staff and Minors, in particular prohibited behavior towards Minors;
   b)  rules for identifying the relationship between the Minor and an adult staying at the Hotel;
   c)  rules of intervention in the event of a threat to the safety of the Minor on the premises of the Hotel;
   d)  preparing the Hotel staff to apply the Standards, rules for verifying the Standards and documenting these activities;
   e)  rules for employing people in the Hotel who have direct contact with Minors.
2. The Standards apply to all persons staying at the Hotel, both Hotel Staff and Guests.
3. The Standards are available for inspection at the hotel lobby and on the Hotel's website.
4. The Standards are an integral part of the contract, which is concluded by making a reservation, paying an advance payment or the entire amount due for the stay at the Hotel. By making the above activities, the Guest confirms that he has read these Standards and accepts their content.

 

§ 2. Glossary

 

1. Minor - any person under 18 years old.
2. Hotel Staff - all persons working in the Hotel, regardless of the basis of employment (employees, contractors, B2B), as well as interns and apprentices.
3. Harming a Minor - behavior that may constitute committing a prohibited act to the detriment of the Minor, endangering his or her well-being, using physical and mental violence against the Minor, sexual exploitation of the Minor and neglecting him or her.
4. Crime to the detriment of a Minor - all crimes that may be committed against adults, and additionally crimes that may only be committed against Minors, in particular crimes against sexual freedom and decency, such as the crime of rape (Article 197 of the Penal Code), taking advantage of helplessness (Article 198 of the Penal Code), abuse of dependence (Article 199 of the Penal Code), prohibited contact with a minor, the so-called grooming (Article 200a of the Penal Code) sexual intercourse with a minor (Article 200 of the Penal Code).
5. Coordinator - a person responsible for the implementation of these Standards, their application by the Hotel Staff and verification of the Standards.
6. Register - a register of notifications kept by the Coordinator in electronic form, which records information about events taking place at the Hotel and all guidelines and notes related to coordinating the application and verification of the Standards.

 

 

 

 

§ 3. Safe relations between Hotel Staff and Minors

 

1. Members of the Hotel Staff cannot stay alone with the Minor and cannot allow a situation in which the Minor would be isolated and left with a Staff member without the care of a parent or legal guardian or an adult with whom he came to the Hotel with the consent of the above-mentioned.
2. The Hotel Staff may not use violence (both physical and mental) towards Minors present on the premises of the Hotel.
3. The Hotel Staff addresses the Minor with due respect, by name, and does not use degrading, mocking or violent terms towards the Minor.
4. The Hotel Staff ensures a safe atmosphere and space for each Minor staying in the Hotel, and, if necessary, informs the Minor about where the Standards in a version he/she can understand are available in the Hotel and how he/she can get help when he experiences harm, violence or behavior on the part of an adult that constitutes a crime.
5. The Hotel Staff is aware of the risk factors and symptoms of harm to Minors and pays attention to them as part of their duties.
6. The Hotel Staff monitors the situation and well-being of Minors staying at the Hotel.
7. The Hotel educates the Hotel Staff on monitoring the condition of Minors and reacting in circumstances indicating that the Minor staying at the Hotel may be harmed or may be a victim of violence or crime.
8. In each case of behavior of a member of the Hotel Staff towards the Minor that is inconsistent with the Standards, the Coordinator and the person's superior listen to the person and take appropriate steps against him/her, including legal steps.
9. The Hotel Staff takes the situation of minors with disabilities and special educational needs staying at the Hotel into account.

 

§ 4. Identification of the relationship between the Minor and the adult staying at the Hotel

 

1. The Minor should be identified and his relationship with the adult with whom he is staying at the Hotel.
2. When checking in at the Hotel, an adult should be informed that the Hotel applies these Standards for the Protection of Minors and therefore the adult may be asked additional questions to verify the Minor's data and the relationship between the Adult and the Minor.
3. To identify the Minor and his/her relationship with the person with whom he/she is staying at the Hotel, you should:

a)  ask for the Minor's identity document (ID card, passport, school ID, birth certificate) and record his details in the hotel guest register; in case of failure to present the above-mentioned document and failure to sign the registration card on behalf of the Minor, the Hotel reserves the right to refuse check-in,
b)  in the absence of the documents referred to above, you should inquire about the relationship between the adult and the Minor - directly between this person and the Minor,
c)  if the adult is not the parent or legal guardian of the Minor, ask whether he or she has a document confirming the consent of the parents or legal guardians for a joint trip between the adult and the minor (e.g. a written statement),
d)  if the adult does not have a parental consent document, please ask for the telephone number of the above-mentioned people to call and confirm the Minor's stay in the Hotel with a foreign adult with the knowledge and consent of the parents or legal guardians,
e)  if an adult does not have the documents and information indicated above, ask that person to complete the declaration constituting Appendix 1 to the Standards.

1. In the event of an adult's resistance to presenting the Minor's document and/or failure to indicate the nature of their relationship, it should be explained that this procedure is intended to ensure the safety of Minors on the premises of the Hotel and has been developed on the basis of the provisions of generally applicable law in Poland.
2. After clarifying the matter in a positive manner, you should thank them for the time spent making sure that the Minor is under good care and emphasize once again that the procedure is intended to ensure Minors’ safety.
3. If the conversation does not dispel doubts regarding the suspicion of the adult and his intention to harm the Minor, you should discreetly notify your supervisor and security staff (if they are in the Hotel at that time). In order not to arouse suspicion, you can, for example, refer to the need to use the equipment at the reception desk or elsewhere in the Hotel, asking an adult to wait with the Minor in the hotel lobby or restaurant.
4. From the moment the first doubts of the Hotel Staff arose, both the Minor and the adult should be under constant observation of the Hotel Staff and not be left alone.
5. The Staff takes all possible steps to identify the Minor and his relationship with the adult with whom he/she is at the Hotel.
6. The superior who has been notified about the situation decides to notify the police or, in case of doubt, takes over the conversation with the suspected adult in order to provide further explanations and then takes appropriate steps. 
7. If the conversation referred to above confirms the conviction of an attempt or commission of a crime to the detriment of the Minor, the superior notifies the police of this fact. The intervention procedure is then applied in the event of a threat to the safety of the Minor on the hotel premises (§ 5 of the Standards).
8. Depending on the situation and place, the superior verifies to what extent the suspicion of harm to the Minor is justified. For this purpose, the superior selects appropriate measures to clarify the situation or decides to intervene and notifies the police.

 

§ 5. Intervention in the event of a threat to the Minor's safety or if harm to the Minor is detected on the premises of the Hotel

 

1. Members of the Hotel Staff respond in every situation in which they have a reasonable suspicion that a Minor staying on the premises of the Hotel has suffered harm or they witness such a situation (e.g. inappropriate behavior between an adult - a Minor, a parent - a child, peer violence, emergency situations - e.g. when a minor reports a problem).
2. Depending on the dynamics of the situation and circumstances, a member of the Hotel Staff who witnesses a disturbing event first tries to stop harming the Minor and react. Moreover, he or she immediately informs his or her superior, who may notify the police, and in the event of a threat to the safety of the Minor, he or she notifies the police by calling 112 and describing the circumstances of the incident. In the event of a threat to the health or life of a Minor staying on the premises of the Hotel, the police and other appropriate services should be immediately called.
3. A member of the Hotel Staff informs his superior and the Coordinator about each incident and police notification.
4. Justified suspicion of harm to a Minor occurs when:
   a)  The Minor disclosed the fact of harm to the Hotel Staff,
   b)  a member of the Hotel Staff observed harm,
   c)  The Minor shows signs of abuse (e.g. scratches, bruises), and when asked answers incoherently or chaotically, or becomes embarrassed, or there are other circumstances that may indicate abuse, e.g. finding pornographic materials involving children in an adult's room.
5. In justified cases, a citizen may arrest a suspected person. In such a situation, until the police arrive, the person should be kept in a separate room away from the view of other guests, under the supervision of two members of the Hotel Staff.
6. In each case, care must be taken to ensure the safety of the Minor. The minor should remain under the care of the Hotel Staff until the police arrive.
7. In the situation described above, the Minor and the suspected person should be prevented from leaving the Hotel.
8. In the event of a justified suspicion that a crime has been committed involving contact of a Minor with the perpetrator's biological material (sperm, saliva, epidermis), the Minor should, if possible, be prevented from washing, eating or drinking until the police arrive.
9. After receiving the Minor by the police, the CCTV footage and other relevant evidence regarding the event should be secured and, at the request of the services, a copy should be delivered by registered mail or in person to the prosecutor or the police.
10. After each intervention or violation of the Standards that occurred on the premises of the Hotel, the Coordinator should describe the event in the Register.

 

§ 6. Preparing the Hotel Staff to apply the Standards, Standards Coordinator and verification of the Standards

 

1. The Hotel provides the Hotel Staff with basic education on the protection of Minors against harm and assistance to minors in dangerous situations, in the scope of:

1. soft skills used to identify the relationship of an adult guest arriving at the Hotel with a Minor,
2. recognizing symptoms of harm to Minors,
3. intervention procedures in case of suspicion of harm to Minors,
4. legal liability of Hotel Staff members obliged to intervene.

 

2. The Hotel Staff has contact details of local institutions and organizations that deal with intervention and assistance in situations of harm to Minors (police, crisis intervention center, social welfare center, health care facilities).

3. The Hotel management appointed a Coordinator. In matters related to these Standards or to report violations of the Standards, please contact the Coordinator via e-mail: welcome@warszauer.com

4. These Standards are verified every two years, with particular emphasis on the analysis of situations related to threats to the safety of Minors and incidents that occurred on the premises of the Hotel. The conclusions from the verification are recorded in the Register.

 

§ 7. Final provisions

 

1. These Standards enter into force on August 15, 2024,
2. To the extent not regulated in these Standards, the relevant provisions of the Act of May 13, 2016 on counteracting threats of sexual crime and protection of minors (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 560) and the Act of February 25, 1964 - Family and Guardianship Code (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 2809) shall apply.
3. The Hotel reserves the right to refuse to extend the hotel day for a Guest who is an adult in the event of non-compliance or reasonable suspicion of non-compliance with these Standards during their stay at the Hotel.
4. The Hotel may refuse to accept an adult Guest who violated the Standards during a previous stay, in particular by harming a Minor on the Hotel premises or by committing a sexual offense to the detriment of a Minor on the Hotel premises.
5. The announcement is made in a manner accessible to Staff, Minors and their guardians by posting it on the Hotel’s website.