Standards for the protection of minors

1. General provisions

1.1 The Standards for the Protection of Minors at NL Clinic were created to ensure the highest level of safety and protection of the rights of minor patients. Their aim is to prevent all forms of abuse, neglect and violations of their privacy and dignity. Introducing these standards expresses NL Clinic's commitment to creating a safe and friendly environment in which children and young people, as well as their parents, can feel fully protected and cared for.

1.2 These standards also aim to set out clear guidelines and procedures for staff, so that they can provide health services in a manner compliant with the applicable law and best practice in the protection of minors. Their aim is also to educate and raise the awareness of all staff regarding responsible and ethical conduct towards minor patients. In this way NL Clinic provides parents and legal guardians with full support and transparency of actions related to the safety of their children while using the services of the facility.

1.3 The Standards for the Protection of Minors apply to all NL Clinic staff who may have contact with minor patients. Everyone working at NL Clinic is obliged to observe these rules without exception.

2. Rules ensuring safe relations between a minor and the facility's staff

1. Every interaction of a minor with medical staff should take place in the presence of another adult, in order to guarantee the patient's comfort and safety.
2. Communication between staff and a minor patient should be adapted to the patient's age.
3. All forms of physical and psychological violence towards minors are strictly prohibited. Staff should pay attention to children's emotional needs and strive to create an atmosphere of safety and trust.
4. Staff are obliged to observe the protection of minor patients' personal data in accordance with GDPR.
5. Staff are obliged to provide the minor with appropriate hygienic and safe conditions during treatment.

3. Rules of conduct in the event of suspicion or information about the harming of a minor

1. If a child is in danger, the appropriate services (police, ambulance) must be called.
2. Anyone who suspects the harming of a minor is obliged to inform the appropriate services (police, prosecutor's office, social welfare centre, district family support centre).
3. If there is a suspicion that the perpetrators of the harm are third parties, the child's parents / legal guardians should be informed of the situation.
4. In the event of a suspicion of harm to a minor, discretion must be maintained. Disclosing information about the case to persons not involved in helping the child is prohibited.

4. Rules of a minor's consent to treatment

1. All treatments performed on a minor require the written consent of a parent / legal guardian.
2. In accordance with the law, a child over 16 years of age must give consent to medical treatment alongside the consent of a parent / legal guardian. Efforts should also be made to obtain the consent and understanding of younger children to an extent appropriate to their age.
3. Medical staff should inform minors about the planned medical actions and procedures, so that they can take part in the process in an informed way.

5. Rules for protecting a minor's image

1. All activities concerning the processing of minors' images (e.g. publishing photos or recordings) require the written consent of the minor's parents or legal guardians.
2. Consent must be given in an unambiguous and voluntary manner, and parents / guardians must be informed of the purpose, scope and manner of using the child's image.
3. Parents or guardians have the right to withdraw consent at any time, which results in the obligation to stop processing the child's image and to delete the materials in which it is recorded.
4. A minor's image may be used solely for the purpose for which the parents or legal guardians gave consent, e.g. for medical records, educational, promotional or informational materials.
5. When using an image for promotional purposes, such as publication on the website, social media or advertising materials, separate consent is required each time.
6. NL Clinic undertakes to use a minor's image in a manner that does not violate their dignity or right to privacy.
7. NL Clinic takes all necessary technical and organisational measures to protect minors' images against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or destruction.

6. Rules of safe recruitment

1. Before employing any person who will have contact with minors, information must be obtained from the Register of Sex Offenders as to whether that person appears in the register.
2. Before employing a person who will provide health services to minors or take part in providing them, they must be required to provide a current certificate from the National Criminal Register regarding offences under chapters XIX (offences against life and health) and XXV (offences against sexual freedom) of the Criminal Code, as well as offences under Art. 189a (human trafficking) and Art. 207 (abuse) of the Criminal Code and offences under the Act of 29 July 2005 on counteracting drug addiction, or acts analogous to these offences under the laws of other countries. Additionally, in accordance with Art. 21(5) of the Act, this person is obliged to submit to the employer or other organiser a declaration of the countries in which they have resided over the past 20 years outside Poland, and of the country of which they are a citizen. At the same time they are obliged to provide information from the criminal registers of those countries, required for professional purposes related to working with minors.
3. When employing a foreigner, it must be verified whether their data appears in the criminal registers of the country of origin or last place of residence, with regard to the offences listed in point 2 above or their equivalents punishable under the law of that country. Management is obliged to obtain an appropriate declaration of a clean criminal record from the foreigner. Additionally, management should obtain the required information from the registers and declarations in accordance with the procedures set out in Art. 21 of the Act on counteracting threats of sexual crime and on the protection of minors.
4. Only persons who do not appear in the Register of Sex Offenders and who have provided a current certificate from the National Criminal Register and a declaration confirming that they have not been convicted of the offences indicated in point 6.2 may be employed at NL Clinic.
5. Each member of staff is obliged to familiarise themselves with the standards before taking up employment.

7. Rules for making the Standards available and applying them

7.1 The Standards are a publicly available document. The Standards are located:

1. in an abridged version on the NL Clinic website;
2. in the full version available at reception.

7.2 Every minor or statutory representative of a minor may receive a copy of the standards for inspection at NL Clinic reception.

8. Final provisions

1. Any changes and updates to the standards will be announced in a way that enables all staff to familiarise themselves with them, in order to ensure full compliance with the new requirements.
2. All NL Clinic staff are obliged to familiarise themselves with these standards and to observe them strictly.
3. Violation of the provisions of these standards by NL Clinic staff may result in disciplinary sanctions, including termination of the employment or cooperation contract.
4. In the event of a violation of the standards that may constitute a crime or a threat to minors, NL Clinic will take the necessary legal action, including reporting the matter to the appropriate law-enforcement authorities.
5. These provisions enter into force on the day of their approval by the NL Clinic management board and remain in force until they are updated or repealed.