My name is Chelsea Kenneally, and I have been undertaking an internship at the NDIS Commission in Canberra from October 2024 until June 2025. I am a fourth-year student at the Australian National University studying a double degree of Law (Honours) and Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). I work 2 days per week (Thursdays and Fridays) at the Commission so that I can focus on university for the first half of the week- a schedule which is only possible through the support of my supervisors, mentors and the directors. From my experience, the leadership teams at the Commission genuinely want to support a holistic life balance. A day as an intern at the Commission really shows this!

7.30 AM

I generally wake up at around 7.30 am to begin my day. After getting ready, I like to sit for half an hour with my cat on the couch while I have tea and read the news. At around 8.30 am, I hop on my bike and follow the bike trail (which runs from my house directly through the bush to the city!) for the 15-minute commute. The mornings in Canberra are always so fresh, so it’s a lovely way to begin the morning.

8.45 AM

Once I get to work, I say hello to my coworkers and set up my desk. In Canberra, we book our desks in advance, and it may change depending on availability, so I usually get a different desk buddy each day! The first thing I do is check my emails and my Teams messages and then plan out my day with a to-do list. Generally, I wouldn’t have a scheduled meeting until 10.00 am, so I pop down to a nearby coffee shop with another intern or coworker for a takeaway coffee and a chat.

9.00 AM

I have regular catchups with my supervisor, who coordinates, oversees and guides me on the projects that I am working on. We regularly have morning meetings so that I can ask any questions that I had from the day before. I also have regular chats with my mentor to speak about my broader goals and development (or sometimes, just to have a chat!). After these catchups, I get stuck into working on my projects. Some weeks, I also have a team meeting in the morning with the broader team so that we can catch each other up on where we are with our projects, and to give each other advice or support!

10.00 AM

I am part of the Intergovernmental and Regulatory Policy team, and one specific project I am working on is education campaigns to improve the quality of services that are provided to people with disabilities. My daily work often includes researching rights of people with disability and the obligations of support workers and providers. This may be through researching legislation, policy, non-government organisations or research organisations and papers. I use this information to highlight and develop important aspects of education campaigns, with the aim of eliminating gaps that may be negatively impacting the services granted to people with disability.

I also am working on a project relating to Community Visitor Schemes. As part of this project, I research complaints cases within our databases and identify common issues. I then code this data to identify any trends that need addressing. With this information, I am working on developing a report which will help to determine what the priorities of the project should be. I really enjoy having two projects simultaneously running, particularly as one is rights-focused, and one is case-based. It allows me to develop my skills in research, writing and evaluation, as well as issue spotting and collating information.

12.30 PM

The Canberra office is in the city, so I often sit in a nearby park to eat lunch (if I have been organised to pre-pack something!) or get lunch with a coworker. There are many occasions to socialise throughout the day, but it is nice to set aside time to get some fresh air as well!

1.30 PM

I am part of the Rainbow Network, which is the network for LGBTQIA+ people. We get together twice a month: once for a formal discussion about improving the lives of Queer people within the workplace, and once as a social event (often trivia with a theme!). There are various networks to join that the Commission supports, including networks for people with disability, First Nations employees, the Young Professionals network, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse network. It is great to be able to socialise with people who you have common experiences or cultures as!

2.30 PM

There are many other fortnightly and monthly meetings that provide opportunities for professional development and learning, which are always interactive and enjoyable! I partake in these whenever I can. I have even had some programmes shift the regular meeting day to accommodate for my part-time schedule! These learning opportunities are often in the afternoon, and the variety helps me to organise and break up the day between project work.

4.30 PM

Once I have wrapped up my work for the day, I write a list of things that I want to come back to or complete the next workday. This helps me to set aside work for the day, knowing that I will have notes to jog my memory the next morning/week. I have found it is important to try and leave work at work, and these boundaries are important to set and practise. Sometimes this can be difficult given the content of the work I sometimes encounter. I try and make plans for after work so that I feel that my day is balanced, and so that I can switch out of the ‘professional’ mindset.

5.30 PM

I often meet friends/coworkers for drinks in the city after work on Friday. During the week, I grab some groceries on the ride back home for dinner. I enjoy taking full advantage of the remaining few hours of daylight (particularly in winter) by doing some exercise after work, and there are some great running trails around Canberra. Sometimes I have some university work to do, but I try to reserve my post-work afternoon for enjoy my hobbies or seeing friends. Each day at the Commission is fulfilling in different ways, and it is so great to come out of the day feeling like I have learned and contributed!

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