She left after two years to return to Newcastle, where through a job centre she found work at Helen Springs Station in the Northern Territory.

She subsequently began a PhD thesis on "contemporary political representation in the Bunuba Aboriginal community", moving to Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia.

[2] Claydon joined the ALP in 1999 and worked as an electorate officer for federal MPs Allan Morris and Sharon Grierson.

At the time she was described by the Newcastle Herald as "a popular figure in the local branches, particularly in the party's left faction, and is well connected with the ALP hierarchy after serving for several years on the powerful NSW Labor administrative committee".

[1] In this role, she has been an advocate for victims of institutional abuse, raising awareness that as of early 2021, only 51 people had received compensation payouts out of 2728 applications.