Standards for the protection of minors

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STANDARDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS 

INVITE Aparthotel
 

I. General Provisions

1. Bearing in mind the necessity to provide minors with due protection during their stay at the INVITE Aparthotel, the following rules, i. e. the Standards for the Protection of Minors, hereinafter referred to as the Standards, are introduced.
2. The INVITE Aparthotel carries out its operational activity with the utmost respect for human rights, in particular the rights of children as persons particularly vulnerable and exposed to harm.
3. The INVITE Aparthotel recognises its role in conducting a socially reliable business and promoting desirable social attitudes.
4. The INVITE Aparthotel particularly emphasizes the importance of the legal and social obligation to notify law enforcement authorities of any suspected crime against children.

II. Rules ensuring safe relationships between the employees of the INVITE Aparthotel and minors, and in particular prohibited behaviour towards minors. 

5. The management of the INVITE Aparthotel will endeavor to ensure that these employees who may come into contact with minors staying at the facility are aware of their responsibilities in this regard and that they are able to provide safe relationships between themselves and the minors.
6. No employee of the INVITE Aparthotel should stay in the room alone with a minor, with the exception of situations when leaving the minor alone in the room could significantly endanger the minor’s welfare, in particular their health or life. Where possible, another adult person should be present or video surveillance should be provided or the employee should plan their duties in such a way that these duties can wait until the situation has passed.
7. Any contact between an employee of the INVITE Aparthotel and a minor staying at the facility should not exceed interactions justified by the official duties of the INVITE Aparthotel employee.

III. Description of the procedure to be followed if Guests checking into the INVITE Aparthotel are accompanied by minors.

8. The identification of the minor and the relationship between the minor and the adult with whom the minor is staying at the facility shall be performed by the reception, based on the documents of the minor and of the adult accompanying the minor at the facility, and in the absence thereof, based on the conversation with the adult and with the minor. If the adult accompanying the minor is neither their parent nor legal guardian, the person should be requested to prove, e.g. by means of a proper document, the consent of a parent or legal guardian of the minor to this minor being under the care of the said adult.
9. If, in course of the procedure described above, the reception employee gets any doubts as to the relationship between the minor and the adult with whom the minor is staying at the facility, the supervisor of this employee is to be informed about it immediately. Both the minor and the adult should remain under the observation of the staff of the INVITE Aparthotel at that time.
10. During the conversation with the minor, particular attention should be paid to ensure that the minor has the possibility to speak freely and uninhibitedly, in particular that the adult with whom the minor is staying at the facility does not answer the questions asked to the minor.                If the adult hinders contact with the minor in any way or exerts any pressure on the minor, the adult should be asked to leave the room for the time of the conversation with the minor. Furthermore, the conversation should take place in the presence of one more employee of the INVITE Aparthotel.

IV. Policies and procedures in case of a reasonable belief that the welfare of a minor staying on the premises of the INVITE Aparthotel is at risk.

11. If there is a reasonable suspicion that the welfare of a minor staying at the facility is at risk, every employee of the INVITE Aparthotel is obliged to take appropriate action.
12. A reasonable suspicion of harm to a minor exists in particular when an employee of the INVITE Aparthotel observed circumstances which may indicate harm to a minor, when the minor bears traces that may indicate harm and when the minor informed of their harm themselves.
13. The aforementioned actions should be taken to immediately notify the supervisor of the situation, and, if it is not possible or if it can cause unnecessary delay, to notify the supervisor or the police.
14. If justified by the circumstances, employees of the INVITE Aparthotel can also take direct action to prevent harm to minors, however, such an attempt should not endanger their own safety or the safety of third parties. Third parties are defined by these Standards as neither the perpetrators nor the co-perpetrators of the harm. The actions of the INVITE Aparthotel employees should remain within the limits of the law, in particular comply with the rules governing necessary defence or the so-called civil detention.

V. Procedures and persons responsible for filing notices of suspected offences against minors and notifying the guardianship court.

15. Following the notification submitted by the INVITE Aparthotel staff, in situations provided for in these Standards, the INVITE Aparthotel management is obliged to ascertain the status of the case and, if the circumstances established justify such a step, to notify the police.
16. In urgent situations, every employee of the INVITE Aparthotel is entitled to call the police.
17. Once the police have been notified, the INVITE Aparthotel staff should make sure that the minor and the adult suspected of committing a crime against the minor do not leave the premises before the police officers arrive as well as that potential evidence of the crime is not destroyed (e.g. by securing the video surveillance footage).
18. In justified cases, the management of the INVITE Aparthotel is also obliged to consider and consult with the Legal Department about the possibility of notifying the guardianship court (the so-called notification under civic duty).

VI. Terms of reference for the person responsible for preparing hotel employees to apply the Standards, how to prepare the employees to apply the Standards and how to document this activity

19. The persons responsible for preparing the employees of the INVITE Aparthotel to apply the Standards are the managers of the INVITE Aparthotel.
20. The employees of the INVITE Aparthotel will have the opportunity take part in training courses and thereby to improve their competences connected with the tasks resulting from the Standards.

VII. Final provisions

21. An evaluation of the Standards will be carried out at least every two years for the purpose of adapting them to the current needs and make them comply with the current legislation, and the conclusions of the evaluation will be documented in writing.
22. The Standards are available on the website of the INVITE Aparthotel. Moreover, they shall also be displayed in a visible place at the hotel reception, both in a complete and in an abbreviated version, intended for minors.
23. The Standards enter into force on 15 February 2024.  

STANDARDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

INVITE Aparthotel

- abridged version for children -
 

1. A minor who feels threatened or suffers any harm on the premises of the INVITE Aparthotel from any person has the right to report on the situation to the Aparthotel staff. Please report such incidents to the Reception, and in emergency situations – to any member of the staff. Having received such a report, the staff will act in accordance with the established procedures, which includes, above all, ensuring the safety of the minor.
2. No employee of the INVITE Aparthotel should allow a situation where they are left alone in the room with a minor, unless it is justified by the minor’s welfare. In such case, if possible, the presence of another adult or the video surveillance supervision should be ensured.
3. Any interactions between employees of the INVITE Aparthotel and minors staying at the facility should be reduced to a minimum.
4. A receptionist checks the personal details of the minor and the adult on the basis of their identity documents (or a conversation with them).
5. If any doubts arise in this context, the receptionist will notify their supervisor thereof.
6. During a conversation with a minor, an employee of the INVITE Aparthotel may ask questions about the details of the minor’s stay. The conversation should be free and not interrupted by an adult. If the adult hinders contact with the minor in any way or exerts any pressure on the minor, the adult should be asked to leave the room for the time of the conversation with the minor.
7. If an employee of the INVITE Aparthotel believes that the welfare of a minor is at risk, they are obliged to take appropriate action.
8. A reasonable suspicion of harm to a minor exists in particular when an employee of the INVITE Aparthotel observed circumstances which may indicate harm to a minor, when the minor bears traces that may indicate harm and when the minor informed of their harm themselves.
9. Should such a situation occur, employees of the Aparthotel can immediately notify their supervisor thereof or, if it is not possible or would cause unnecessary delay, call the police.
10. After having notified the police, the staff of the INVITE Aparthotel will take care of the minor’s safety and make sure that neither the minor nor the adult leaves the facility before the officers arrive.