The Nurturing Consultancy Programme
The Nurturing Consultancy Programme is a service designed to help nurture and support you and your family with those difficult journeys you may struggle to navigate on your own. Whether you need support on working with other professionals such as teachers or social care, or if you just need to sound off to an understanding ear when you feel like everything you do is pitted against you.
Who are we?

Jodie Isitt
Autistic Advocacy Consultant
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Personal experience navigating & battling the education and health system successfully for her disabled children & partner - Founder of The Nurture Programme designed to reach as many families as possible and help them advocate for their own children
- Runs worldwide programmes including The Nurturing Advocacy Programme with Laura Kerbey & The PDA Nurture Programme with Harry Thompson
- Public speaker and author of children’s book series ‘Autism with Lola'
- Level 2 certificate in Supporting PDA children, teenagers, and young adults
What I can help with...
- Advocacy & Support within meetings
- The Nurturing Advocacy Programme
- The PDA Nurture Programme
- EHC Plan advice and support
- Advocacy support for Assessments, Benefits, Respite care, Direct Payments, Disabled Facilities Grant applications & housing arrangements
- Sensory Processing Disorder support and advice for schools or educational setting

Karen Stepanova
- Background in teaching in adult and further education
- Personal experience as a parent of 2 neurodivergent children, one with a PDA profile
- Send Link governor at local mainstream academy.
- Non exec Director at Parental Engagement Network with a focus on inclusivity and diversity, developing resources for schools to promote best practice and improving the outcomes for all children and their families.
- Works as a trainer delivering PAST accredited PDA training to professionals
- Legally trained in SEN law
What I can help with & where you can find me.
- EHC Plan advice and support. From requesting a needs assessment to ensuring the provision and outcomes are in place
- Annual reviews
- Guidance and support through the EHCNA process
- Advocacy and support within meetings
What's included?
The Nurturing Consultancy Programme is individualised for each family. They consist of 60 minute consultation for specific support with either Karen Stepanova – Special Educational Needs Consultant or Jodie Isitt an Autistic advocate, for your child’s educational or social care needs.
Consultations are available so that we can help you explore the direction that you wish to take with your child’s education, social care or general support for you all in the home and community. We can work alongside you offering support and advice whilst you navigate the system yourself, being there for you to scaffold support and give you the encouragement you need to advocate confidently. We are also able to advocate on your behalf so that we can release that pressure from your family so that you are able to enjoy being first and foremost a parent. We have worked with many families who have not been confident enough to advocate on their own and throughout the process have gained knowledge and restored that confidence to begin to need less and less emotional and practical support from us and being a part of this process is a truly wonderful privilege. Our aim is to NURTURE your confidence so that you are able to fully trust in yourself to get the support that your children are entitled to.
You can utilise your time spent with us in whichever way you feel is most beneficial. This can include a wide variety of things such as Education Health & Care Plan advice or support for Child In Need meetings. You can also use the time to ask advice about the difficulties that you or your child may be facing.
Consultancy packages are bespoke and consultations are essential to be able to build the support that will be tailored to your individual needs.