Building cultures where people thrive
Work With JLA
TIMIAN
Timian Academy

Positive Behaviour Management built on understanding.

JLA is proud to be a Timian Academy, delivering Timian’s BILD ACT-certified Positive Behaviour Management (PBM) programme.

The programme supports organisations to develop safer, more thoughtful approaches to behaviour, conflict and restrictive practice, with a strong focus on understanding, prevention, de-escalation and proportionate responses.

Timian Academy
Specialist programme delivery through JL Academy

Understanding behaviour • prevention • de-escalation • safer practice • restrictive-practice reduction

Programme assurance

Certified programme. Established standards.

JLA delivers Timian’s BILD ACT-certified Positive Behaviour Management programme. Timian has continued to develop through research, emerging evidence, quality assurance, professional learning and experience from practice.

PEOPLE
Support worker and service user in a calm person-centred environment
Why this work matters

Safer practice starts before a crisis.

Behaviour that challenges can be influenced by communication, environment, unmet need, relationships, stress, trauma, culture and the way services are organised.

Effective practice means understanding those factors and helping staff respond with confidence, consistency and professional judgement.

Timian’s approach places strong emphasis on prevention, de-escalation, least-restrictive practice and the development of safer cultures.

UNDERSTAND
Through Understanding

Understanding behaviour changes the way we respond.

The principle of Through Understanding sits naturally at the heart of this work.

When people understand what may be driving behaviour, they are better placed to respond thoughtfully, reduce escalation and make safer decisions.

That means looking beyond the immediate incident and considering the person, the environment, communication, relationships, previous experience and wider context.

Understanding supports better judgement. Better judgement supports safer practice.
PRACTICE
Positive Behaviour Management

Practical skills within a wider framework.

Positive Behaviour Management is more than a set of physical skills. The programme considers the wider process of preventing, understanding and responding to behaviour.

The aim is to help staff understand both what they do and why they do it.

01

Understand

Behaviour, communication, need, environment and context.

02

Prevent

Recognising opportunities to reduce escalation before a situation becomes more difficult.

03

De-escalate

Communication, professional judgement, personal safety and dynamic risk.

04

Respond proportionately

Supporting safer, ethical and least-restrictive responses.

05

Reflect

Learning from incidents and strengthening future practice.

06

Develop confidence

Building staff confidence alongside judgement and professional responsibility.

07

Reduce restriction

Supporting more preventative and proportionate approaches.

08

Strengthen culture

Connecting learning with leadership, communication and organisational practice.

SAFER
Restrictive practice reduction

Building confidence in less restrictive responses.

Reducing restrictive practice requires more than changing a technique.

It involves staff confidence, organisational culture, leadership, communication, reflective practice and a shared understanding of how escalation develops.

JLA can work with organisations to support the wider conditions that help teams use more preventative and proportionate approaches.

Training forms part of a broader approach to safer practice.

Wider support through consultancy, leadership, practice review and workforce development sits alongside Timian delivery.

EXPERIENCE
James Hourihan
James and Timian
Experience rooted in the development of the programme.
James Hourihan • Co-Founder & Director, JLA • Lead Senior Trainer, Timian Academy delivery

James Hourihan was one of the original founders of the Timian programme and has worked in behaviour support, conflict reduction, training and organisational development for more than three decades.

From its early development, Timian has focused on helping practitioners understand behaviour, prevent escalation and respond safely and proportionately when situations become challenging.

Over time, the programme and its practical skills have continued to evolve. Research, emerging evidence, quality assurance, professional learning and experience from delivery have all contributed to refining and strengthening the approach.

James has remained closely connected to this work throughout his career, delivering internationally and working with practitioners, trainers, leaders and organisations across a wide range of services.

Today, James is JLA’s Lead Senior Trainer for Timian delivery, supporting organisations to implement Timian’s BILD ACT-certified Positive Behaviour Management programme and translate its principles into everyday practice.

That combination of history, practical experience and continuing development gives JLA a particularly strong understanding of both the programme itself and the environments in which it is used.

DELIVERY
Training for organisations

Delivery shaped around the workforce and service.

Timian training can be delivered for organisations whose staff may encounter behaviours of concern, conflict, distress or situations where restrictive intervention may become relevant.

The exact programme and level of training should reflect the workforce, role, environment, risks and responsibilities involved.

01
Health services
02
Social care
03
Supported living
04
Learning disability services
05
Mental health
06
Education
07
Residential settings
08
Community services
09
Specialist support environments
TRAINERS
Train-the-Trainer

Building sustainable internal capability.

Where required, organisations may choose to develop internal trainers who can support ongoing delivery within their own workforce.

Train-the-Trainer can help organisations build greater internal capability, consistency and continuity.

JLA can also support the wider implementation around trainer development, including planning, professional support, programme coordination and continuing development.

Trainer development works best when it is supported by clear organisational expectations, professional support and continuing quality assurance.
EMBED
Beyond the training room

Implementation matters.

A successful programme does not end when the course finishes.

Timian learning can be reinforced through leadership, reflective practice, review and continued trainer development.

01

Understand & review

Training Needs Analysis and programme evaluation help organisations understand workforce priorities, review experience and identify further development.

02

Reinforce & reflect

Leadership support and reflective learning help teams connect training with supervision, experience and everyday practice.

03

Maintain & develop

Refresher planning and trainer development support continued confidence, internal capability and professional development.

04

Align practice

Policy and practice review, alongside specialist organisational input, can help learning remain connected with the way services operate.

CULTURE
Leadership & culture

Leaders influence how safer practice becomes everyday practice.

Staff need more than knowledge.

They need clear expectations, supportive leadership, opportunities to reflect and an organisational culture in which concerns can be raised and learning can take place.

Leadership therefore plays an important role in reducing restrictive practice and strengthening safer behaviour support.

Learning becomes practice when the environment supports it.

JLA can support leaders alongside frontline teams so that Timian learning is understood, reinforced and reflected in everyday practice.

THRIVE
Timian Academy delivery

Safer practice grows through understanding, confidence and consistent support.

If your organisation is reviewing Positive Behaviour Management, restrictive practice or workforce capability, we can begin with the people, environment and outcomes you need to support.