Child Safeguarding Standards

Child Safeguarding Standards are a set of rules and procedures that apply to every member of staff at Nido Family Centre. Their purpose is to keep children safe during diagnostic and therapeutic visits, and to ensure a swift response whenever a child’s welfare may be at risk.

The standards apply to all staff and associates, regardless of the type of contract:

• neurological speech therapists and speech therapists
• psychologists and psychotherapists
• sensory integration therapists
• physiotherapists and rehabilitation specialists
• osteopaths and massage therapists
• medical specialists (surgeon, orthopaedist)
• reception, administrative and support staff
• volunteers, trainees and interns
• individuals providing services under civil-law contracts

Every member of staff is required to follow the principles of safe interaction with children:

Harming a child means any action or omission that violates the child’s rights, personal interests, or disrupts their development. At our clinic we pay particular attention to:

• Physical abuse: hitting, pushing, shaking, inflicting pain
• Psychological abuse: intimidation, humiliation, isolation, shouting at a child
• Sexual abuse: any sexual act with or towards a child
• Neglect: failure to meet the child’s basic needs (food, hygiene, health)
• Peer violence: bullying, exclusion, violence by other children

If a member of staff suspects or identifies that a child is being harmed, they are required to act immediately:

Every child visiting our clinic has the right to:

• ✓be treated with respect and dignity
• ✓have a guardian present during the visit and examination
• ✓receive information about what is happening — in a way appropriate to their age
• ✓object to an examination or procedure — noting that until the age of 16 consent is given by parents or legal guardians; from age 16 the child has a say in their treatment; in a life- or health-threatening situation a doctor may act immediately
• ✓privacy and confidentiality of their personal data
• ✓report irregularities — in person, by phone, or through a parent/guardian
• ✓receive support if they have experienced harm

As a neurological speech therapy centre we work with children with a wide range of developmental and communication needs. Our standards specifically account for:

• ✓providing information to the child in a manner suited to their age, health, developmental level and communication abilities
• ✓using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), pictograms, gestures or visual aids where appropriate
• ✓considering the child’s sensory needs during visits (lighting, noise, touch)
• ✓paying particular attention to children who, because of the nature of their disability, may have difficulty reporting harm
• ✓working with parents and guardians to identify the best forms of communication with the child

If you are a parent, guardian or child and wish to report a safeguarding concern or irregularity, you can do so:

• 💬In person: speak to any member of staff or at reception
• 📞By phone: call our reception number
• 📧By email: write to the designated person (see contacts below)

Reports may be made anonymously. Every report is taken seriously and documented in accordance with internal procedures.

You can contact them at any time:

If the persons listed above are unavailable, their duties are assumed by a person designated by management.

Before being allowed to work with children, every member of staff is verified:

• ✓we check the Sex Offenders Register
• ✓we require a certificate of no criminal record from the National Criminal Register
• ✓every member of staff signs a declaration confirming they have read the safeguarding standards
• ✓every member of staff completes child safeguarding training before starting work, followed by regular refresher sessions

Children’s personal data, including their image, are processed in accordance with the GDPR (Regulation EU 2016/679) and Polish data protection legislation:

• ✓we process data only to the extent necessary for diagnostic and therapeutic services
• ✓a child’s image is not recorded or published without the written consent of a parent or legal guardian
• ✓the clinic has appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO)
• ✓detailed data processing rules are set out in our Privacy Policy, available at reception and on nidomed.pl

The clinic follows rules governing the use of internet-connected devices:

• ✓devices used in therapy (tablets, computers) are protected against access to content inappropriate for children
• ✓the patient Wi-Fi network, where available, has content filtering enabled
• ✓staff do not contact children through private electronic channels (social media, messaging apps)
• ✓the online safety coordinator is Grzegorz Data ([email protected])

The Child Safeguarding Standards are a living document:

• ✓a full review of the document takes place at least every two years
• ✓every two years we conduct surveys among staff, children and parents
• ✓any change in the law triggers an update of the standards
• ✓every critical incident is analysed and may lead to a change in procedures
• ✓the results of each review are documented in writing