Anti-bullying and harassment
We do not tolerate bullying or harassment and have five dedicated officers to whom you can report harassment if you should witness or experience it - Professor David Paterson, Head of Department
All members of the University community are required to comply with the University’s Harassment policy.
DPAG Respectful Behaviours Framework
We ask all members of our community to adhere to the core principles of the DPAG Respectful Behaviours Framework. This is not an exhaustive or restrictive list of acceptable behaviours, rather a framework establishing the expected spirit by which we treat and respect each other. The framework aims to ensure that individuals are accountable for their own behaviours, whilst encouraging the creation of healthy working relationships across the department. This will help to foster an environment where people are treated fairly, and feel recognised and valued for their contributions and ideas. It will help us all to engage in open and respectful communication, and address conflict constructively.
If you feel that you are being treated disrespectfully, please reach out to the HR Team, Head of Administration & Finance, EDI Officer, or a Harassment Adviser (details below). You can also share feedback, anonymously if preferred, using the DPAG feedback form: (https://forms.office.com/r/mCrYvTc30P) and staff can report anonymously via the University’s Report and Support tool.
DPAG has four Harassment Advisors who are trained to listen and confidentially support those who feel they are being bullied. They are:
Alternatively, you may wish to contact colleagues in the Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM):
Amarjit Bhomra (Department of Paediatrics): amarjit.bhomra@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Sarah De Val (DPAG) Sarah.deval@dpag.ox.ac.uk
Georgina Bishop (Department of Paediatrics) georgina.bishop@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Joanna Hester (Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences) joanna.hester@nds.ox.ac.uk
Alternatively, if you would prefer to speak to someone outside of our department you can contact the Biochemistry Welfare Officers:
Anna Lastuvkova: anna.lastuvkova@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Marie Hockney: marie.hockney@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Jane Mellor: jane.mellor@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Mark Wormald: mark.wormald@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Kiren Bhomra: kiren.bhomra@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Melissa Webby: melissa.webby@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Ben Foster: Benjamin.foster@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Harassment Advisors are available for a confidential chat via Teams and can be emailed to arrange. If you would like to speak to an advisor outside of DPAG and Biochemistry, email harassment.line@admin.ox.ac.uk.
Students can also talk to the OUSU Student Advice Service which is specifically designed for students to provide support in a wide range of situations. Tel: (2)88466. Email: advice@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk. Please see Harassment and conflict advice for students for further information on resources available to students.
Anti-Bullying and Harassment training is now mandatory for all departmental staff members: Challenging Behaviour: Dealing with bullying and harassment in the workplace.
The University website has a dedicated harassment advice section which outlines the resources available to you. This includes information on Responsible bystander intervention, a vital component in tackling bullying and harassment, as we all have a part to play in creating our workplace culture.
For further training, you can log into LinkedIn Learning and search for key words including Assertiveness, Resilience, or Difficult Conversations for a range of courses and videos.
Mediation Service
After massive success when it started in NDORMS, the Mediation Service has now opened out to DPAG and Primary Care.
Mediation is a confidential, voluntary and informal process that helps you work through conflict with your colleagues and find a practical solution that works for everyone.
The Mediation Service, of which DPAG's EDI Officer Louise Cotterell is a team member, is open to all staff and students across DPAG, Primary Care and NDORMS.
If you’d like to find out more, visit their website – https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/mediation-service
Or email the team – mediation@ndorms.ox.ac.uk
