Leeds neurodivergence specialist targets growth with new jobs push

Photocredit: Aim Forward (l-r) Joanna and Matthew Timmis (both Aim Forward) with Jas Hayre (West Yorkshire Good Growth Programme).

A Leeds consultancy that champions neurodivergence in the workplace is planning major expansion after support from the West Yorkshire Good Growth Programme.

Aim Forward, founded by Joanna and Matthew Timmis, expects the launch of new services and technology to create up to 15 jobs in the next three years. The organisation has already worked with 50 employers across tech, health and professional services, providing assessments, coaching and training. Its next step is a digital screening tool due in 2026, aimed at making workplace support faster, more accessible and data-driven.

Support from the Good Growth Programme helped the firm move further into the corporate market. Aim Forward received specialist coaching, peer mentoring and training to build a scalable sales pipeline and form partnerships with other service providers. The approach is paying off, with revenues up 170 per cent in 2025 and clients including the NHS, Leeds City Council and Staywell Occupational Health. Joanna Timmis said:

“Neurodivergence is used when a person thinks, learns and processes information differently. We support employees with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, and we also help employers navigate mental health and medical conditions in the workplace.”

She said attitudes in organisations are shifting and demand is set to increase as new legislation will require large UK employers to report neurodivergent pay gaps by 2026.

“With only around 1% of employees currently disclosing diagnoses, despite an estimated 25% of the population being neurodivergent, our work is not just timely; it’s essential.”

The Good Growth Programme – delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice and funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – supports expanding businesses through a GROWTHmapper diagnostic, one-to-one coaching and practical masterclasses. West Yorkshire Good Growth Client Manager Jas Hayre said

“Aim Forward is helping employers rethink how they support neurodivergent staff. They have moved an industry-leading offer into the corporate world and are changing how organisations view individuals with specific needs. External advice and guidance have given the company the platform to grow and start a recruitment drive that could create up to 15 jobs.”