Child protection policy 2024 policy guidelines and Procedures on child sateguarding and protection
Studio Legale Miraglia has developed this Child Protection Policy to ensure the highest standards of professional conduct and personal practice in situations involving children. More specifically, this policy includes measures concerning recruitment procedures, management structures, staff training, and development of protocols.
1. DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of the present policy, the following definitions apply:
• A child is every human being below the age of eighteen years old, as defined by the UN – Convention of the Rights of the Child.
For the purpose of this policy we use child/children and minors interchangeably.
• Protecting a child means preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse of children in all contexts.
Protecting a child entails analyzing the child’s unique personal context, situation and needs on a case-to-case basis.
• Child participation means that any person under the age of 18 can freely express their views, to be heard and to contribute to the decision-making process. Their views must be given due weight in accordance with the individual’s age and maturity.
• Staff members are all paid staff, volunteers, interns and external collaborators.
• Child maltreatment refers to the abuse and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years old. This includes all types of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence, and any form of exploitation that threatens to harm or jeopardizes the child’s health, survival, development and dignity.
2. PRINCIPLES AND VALUES
Studio Legale Miraglia is committed to the following values and principles, which should be respected and promoted by all its staff members:
• it values and treats every person without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of their age, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, and national, ethnic or social origin and status;
• it has a zero-tolerance policy towards any kind of inappropriate behaviour, violence or abuse including towards children;
• it recognizes the right of every child to be protected from any harm and abuse;
• it promotes the right of children to be heard and share their views regarding matters which affect them.
3. SCREENING AND HIRING PRACTICES
Studio Legale Miraglia is committed to sustaining rigorous hiring and selection practices, including reference checks, criminal background checks and social security checks.
Prospective staff members will be interviewed to make sure that they meet the requirements, and they will be required to sign the organization’s Code of Conduct and Child Protection Policy once they obtain the job.
4. PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT AND PROCEDURES OF STAFF IN CONTACT/WORKING WITH CHILDREN
4.1. The following principles apply when working with children:
• compliance with Studio Legale Miraglia’s Code of Conduct and Child Protection Policy.
As previously mentioned, before performing any work duties, staff members will sign and date a copy of the Code of Conduct, to which the Child Protection Policy is annexed. If changes or updates are made, all staff members will be provided with the new version, which must be signed in acknowledgement and acceptance.
• All external collaborators will be provided with the Child Protection Policy and the Code of Conduct if they work with children younger than 18 years of age.
• The Code of Conduct includes the procedures for data collection and treatment of data regarding children and young people. Data privacy and protection issues shall comply with relevant EU rules (especially the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679.
• If personal data about minors needs to be collected, written informed consent will be sought from their parents/legal guardians.
• Staff who may come in contact with the personal data of research participants is required to sign a declaration of confidentiality before engaging in research.
• Written informed consent of the parents/legal guardians shall be specifically sought if disclosing information regarding a minor. This includes disclosing any type of information (including images) regarding a minor. Acquired images and data are stored on the local server of Studio Legale Miraglia and are accessible only by the staff who have the specific credentials and who have signed the Code of Conduct.
• All publications must comply with the Child Protection Policy before being publicized or shared.
4.2. Training on child protection
The Child Protection Policy will be shared with each new staff member and will be regularly reinforced and updated. More specifically,
• all paid staff, volunteers and interns will participate in a comprehensive child protection training and in further training throughout their employment period;
• external collaborators who may come in contact with children will participate in the same child protection training.
All staff members and external collaborators have an obligation to report any child abuse concerns they may have or suspect both within the organization or in an external context.
5. DECLARATION
By submitting this report, the subject declares that:
• He/she is aware that this report could be used an official statement, should the report give rise to legal action on behalf of Studio Legale Miraglia;
• He/she is in good faith and that all the information provided above is correct and truthful;
• He/she is aware that providing false accusations against someone is a breach punishable by Italian law.
The reporting subject
(Read and approved) date
