The NDWRH Behaviour Charter
The NDWRH Behaviour Charter was developed with our staff and students through an in-depth consultation process and behaviours and attitudes which demonstrate them. The purpose of the Charter is to promote a culture of positivity and dignity for individuals, their peers, their teams and line managers. Its aim is to move to greater transparency, trust and respect in the way we interact together, helping to build a more supportive and productive workplace for everyone.
Our six core values
“Behaviour Charter in action” series
Our new short video series is designed to bring the NDWRH Behaviour Charter to life and further embed it into our everyday working lives. One video will be released each day over the coming week, with each focusing on a different behaviour trait. Our interviewees share how they adopt these behaviours in their everyday work.
Excellence
You are curious and are willing to self-direct your learning to improve your expertise, benefitting yourself and the department as a whole. You are willing to share your knowledge and provide support for others, creating a culture of excellence and tacit departmental knowledge.
Danielle Hoare, HR
“Excellence isn’t about being perfect. It’s about having a consistent approach, always wanting to improve, and supporting the people around you.”
Danielle began her career in the department as an apprentice and has since progressed to Human Resources Officer, completing multiple qualifications along the way. She now line manages two members of staff and has taken on the role of Apprenticeship Lead, supporting current and future apprentices across the department.
“It’s really satisfying to watch people develop and progress” she says.
Committed to continuous improvement, Danielle embraces new ways of working, including using tools such as Asana to manage projects more effectively. She also prioritises keeping her knowledge up to date through self-directed learning, professional reading, and her CIPD membership.
Danielle is most proud of her journey from apprentice to HR Officer - a strong example of excellence through continuous development and a commitment to high standards.
Working Together
You work with others to reach a common goal, sharing information, supporting colleagues and searching out expertise and solutions from relevant partners and/or research communities.
Lesa Levett, Head of Admin & Finance
“Working together means giving people a voice, valuing their contributions, and creating a culture where everyone feels included.””
Working together in the department is about recognising and valuing the different contributions people bring. Collaboration thrives when individuals feel heard, respected and able to contribute to the department’s wider mission and vision.
Initiatives such as theme leads and coordinators across research areas help bring people together, identify common ground and strengthen inclusivity. Regular team and operational meetings also ensure people feel informed, involved and supported.
Creating a safe environment means encouraging openness around wellbeing, allowing people to speak freely about mental health and take time off without feeling pressured.
Lesa is most proud of the department’s collaborative culture - one that values people, promotes goodwill and ensures everyone has a voice.
Responsibility
You take ownership of your work and use your initiative to deliver. You are accountable for your own performance and development, and you take responsibility for your actions and decisions.
James Matejtschuk , Education Manager
“Responsibility means taking ownership, using your initiative, and learning as you go.”
Responsibility in women’s and reproductive health is about stepping up and supporting others as they develop. As medical students progress, they take on increasing responsibility - learning to make decisions, seek advice and reflect on mistakes.
Ensuring undergraduate rotations are well organised requires independence, initiative and strong collaboration with clinicians, creating a shared sense of ownership.
Meeting patients and seeing the impact of their involvement on student learning reinforces the importance of this work.
James Matejtschuk is most proud that patient involvement, once considered unconventional, is now widely accepted, even influencing national practice.
Leadership
You lead by example through your behaviours and professional approach to work; inspiring your colleagues and driving for results.
Prof. Krina Zondervan
“Leadership is about supporting each other as a team so we can produce the very best work.”
Leadership at NDWRH is rooted in passion, professionalism and support. Creating an environment where people feel respected, valued and empowered to pursue meaningful research is central to this approach.
Clear values, transparency and accessibility play a key role, alongside making time for people and using digital tools to stay connected and responsive.
Team leadership, built on openness and mutual respect, helps everyone to thrive and contribute at their best.
Krina has recently been proud of seeing a senior postdoctoral researcher featured on the cover of New Scientist for work on endometriosis. It's a powerful example of how supportive leadership brings under-researched issues into focus.
Trust, Ethics & Integrity
You are aware of your impact on others and your use of resources. You promote openness and listen carefully to understand others' views. You promote the values of diversity and dignity in the workplace and can stand by any decision you make as ethical and proportionate in the given situation
Sharon Westcar
“Trust is built through openness, honesty and integrity in everything we do.”
Trust in women’s and reproductive health means working ethically, being open, and trusting colleagues to do the work they are trained to do. Strong teams are built on mutual respect and confidence in one another.
When mistakes happen, the focus is on collective learning rather than blame; asking what we can do as a team to prevent issues in the future.
Diversity is central to trust, ensuring research reflects the populations it aims to serve and produces meaningful, relevant outcomes. Sharon Westcar is most proud of seeing the real-world impact of this work, improving clinical care not just locally, but for women across the world.
Clarity
You communicate clearly and concisely, ensuring that the message is understood by all. You actively seek methods to prevent overcomplication or confusion, by a simple non-bureaucratic approach to work.
Prof. Nicole Votruba
“Clarity is about breaking your work down to its essentials, so people truly understand what you’re trying to achieve.”
Clarity means finding a common language that helps people work together more effectively. In the PRAMH project, which supports perinatal women in rural India, this starts with listening carefully to women, families and healthcare workers; and understanding how they describe mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety.
These insights directly shape how interventions are designed and delivered. When feedback showed that weekly sessions weren’t feasible, the approach was adapted, demonstrating the importance of flexibility, openness and responsiveness.
Being clear and transparent also helps to build trust. By openly discussing challenges as they arise, teams can work collaboratively to find solutions.
Nicole is most proud that the project created an approach that was both acceptable and genuinely needed locally, helping address inequalities in access to mental health care.
About the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health
The Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health (NDWRH) within the Medical Sciences Division (MSD) of the University of Oxford. As an internationally recognised centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching, MSD is the largest of the four academic divisions within the University of Oxford.
There are over 5000 academics, researchers, NHS clinicians and GPs, and administrative staff, 1500 graduate and 1600 undergraduate students, together contribute to our extensive and exemplary research, teaching and clinical portfolios.
NDWRH have achieved the Athena Swan Gold Award.
