Justine Kim, a UWA Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Business Law and Accounting, recently undertook an internship supporting policy improvement with Nulsen Disability Services (NDS) through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship.
Contributing 100 hours to her policy research role, Justine said that it was rewarding to work within a team that cared about better outcomes for the individuals their organisation served.
“A highlight of the internship was being able to work in a team full of people dedicated to providing service users with the best possible support and care; I felt the team really connected with and cared for the service users, and I felt that the research I was doing would truly be implemented in a way that would have a positive impact,” Justine said.
“The dedication and commitment of my co-workers encouraged me to research with the service users in mind, and thing about what kind of policy changes would bring about the most benefits for them.”
Justine researched three policy topics through her role, focussing on supported decision making, guardianship, and supported independent living for people with disabilities.
“My research was based on new material and recommendations recently published by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, as well as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, other disability service providers, and provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
“This research will help NDS to support their service users in a way that makes them feel empowered, safe, and cared for within the community,” she said.
Ron Regan, Manager Internal Audit & Policy with NDS and internship supervisor, praised Justine’s contribution.
“As a result of the high quality of her research, Justine has assisted NDS to thoroughly review sensitive and complex policies that needed to reflect the dynamic changes that were occurring within the disability sector.
“This research will enable NDS to further enhance the quality of services that it provides to the people it supports.”
Justine said that the internship experience had helped her develop skills for professional settings while introducing her to the realities of the disability service sector.
“Through my role I was able to develop my communication, time management and soft skills, and I felt inspired by the different the team was making in advocating for their service users.
“I really recommend this internship program - if I hadn’t undertaken this internship I don’t think I would have ever had the opportunity to learn about the disability service sector, and open my eyes to the chances we have to make change.”