True care is built on a foundation of trust, patience, and genuine human connection. It is found in the subtle, everyday moments, when one listens with empathy, offers reassurance, or simply shows up with kindness. For children and families who have faced adversity, these moments can be profoundly life-changing. Effective support extends beyond the mere delivery of services; it requires the creation of safe environments where individuals feel understood, valued, and empowered to build resilience and grow.

This belief in the power of compassionate relationships is what guides Bayleaf Care Limited. At the heart of the organization’s work is the understanding that genuine healing begins with strong, supportive connections between caregivers and children. Bayleaf Care has built its approach around therapeutic parenting, employing the PACE model: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy, as its guiding philosophy in every interaction and decision. For the team, this is more than a methodology; it is a core operational principle that fosters understanding, patience, and the relentless pursuit of better outcomes for the children in their care.

At Bayleaf Care, reflection and learning are equally important. The team believes that behavior is a form of communication and that understanding it requires patience, empathy, and insight. The organization also invests deeply in its people, offering comprehensive training, professional supervision, and opportunities for growth so that every team member feels supported and valued.

We at CIO Bulletin had the distinct honor of interviewing Dr. Zia Zamir, the visionary Founding CEO of Bayleaf Care Limited. He shared profound insights into how he and his team are building nurturing environments through a compassionate, non-punitive approach and a strong commitment to dignity and respect. Their efforts ensure that children and young people feel heard, supported, and empowered to build brighter futures.

Interview Highlights  

Every impactful organization begins with a story. What inspired the founding of Bayleaf Care, and how has that original vision guided your journey in transforming lives?

Bayleaf Care was founded with a clear vision: to provide high-quality, therapeutic care and education for children and young people who have experienced trauma and adversity or who have additional learning disabilities. The inspiration came from recognizing that many young people in residential care needed more than just accommodation—they needed stable, nurturing environments where they could feel safe, understood, and supported to rebuild their lives, not only to address their current circumstances but also to work through their past, live in the present, and prepare for the future.

From the beginning, the focus has been on delivering support that is psychologically informed and centered around the individual needs of each child. That original vision continues to guide our journey today, shaping the way we design our homes, support our staff, and work collaboratively with therapists, educators, and local authorities. By staying true to this purpose, Bayleaf Care has been able to create environments where children can develop resilience, build positive relationships, and move forward with confidence toward brighter futures.

Bayleaf Care offers therapeutic homes, education, and supported living. How do you ensure that every service is truly tailored to the unique needs of each child or young person you care for?

From the first moments of supporting a child, we see them as an individual brimming with potential, avoiding deficit-model approaches whereby the child’s history and adverse experiences lead and dominate discussion. Of course, it is incredibly important to have a full understanding of a child’s journey to ensure that we support staff teams in managing risk and keeping the child safe, but we never lose sight of the positive, individual strengths of character of each child.

Professional dialogue around potential and intended outcomes is always our starting point. In this way, co-production is a central feature of the planning of our care and educational experiences for each child. Our care packages focus on ensuring that children have the right support in place, providing personalized and nurturing relationships and creating a bespoke journey for each child with us.

We begin our educational planning with the talents, interests, and aspirations of the child and shape our curriculum around this. We have a range of pathways available to our children, whether that be a pre- or semi-formal model utilizing continuous provision or a more formal approach using National Curriculum frameworks. Our children learn in a way that is right for them and provides them with the best chances of success both now and in the future.

This is supported by our integrated approach between education, care, and therapeutic interventions to support the child in the present, work through the trauma from their past, and build the skills and aspirations for the future.

Your PACE approach sets you apart in nurturing trust and resilience. How has this method transformed the way your teams engage with young people, and what makes it so powerful?

We firmly believe that the PACE approach is not something that we do, but rather the culture of our provision. It sits at the heart of everything we do. Play is at the heart of a child’s daily experience at home and in education, and staff and children play alongside each other daily to build connection and a sense of wellbeing. Acceptance of a child involves seeing their unique hopes, interests, and aspirations as well as any behaviors that may be communicating a need.

We are curiosity-led in our approach, and learning often begins with a question. Curiosity and child-led learning approaches are also seen weekly in our Forest School setting. We are incredibly fortunate to have our own Forest School area on site at The Bayleaf Hub.

Finally, empathy is demonstrated by our staff teams jumping into the child’s world and co-regulating alongside a child. This is immensely powerful because when our children feel seen and listened to, they begin to trust, connect, heal, and learn.

Bayleaf Hub and B@SE provide personalised learning in trauma-informed settings. How do these educational initiatives inspire growth and hope for children facing complex challenges?

Through the B@SE and The Bayleaf Hub, our curriculum aim is to ensure that each child has a joyful and personally meaningful experience. We believe that by allowing children to experience joy, curiosity, awe, and wonder through a curriculum that is interest-led, we enhance a sense of belonging and develop human interconnections that will remain with them throughout their time in the Bayleaf family and beyond.

Co-production of learning journeys is central to ensuring that our children and young people feel seen and heard and are given the best opportunities to meet outcomes and thrive. Our curriculum is built upon key concepts and themes, as well as seeking to develop the Habits of Mind that feature in the work of Arthur Costa. This facilitates personal growth that can be applied to all areas of life and learning.

The aim of our educational provision is for children to become architects of a joyful life, and through the implementation of our Learning Passport (a programme of opportunity delivered together between care and education) children develop knowledge, skills, and competencies that facilitate independence, relationships, communication, and wellbeing.

Our children have often not had the experiences that many of us (and many other children) take for granted, and the Learning Passport aims to provide these opportunities so that our children feel connected to peers in the world around them. Building community cohesion is a key theme in our curriculum intentions.

This is best seen in the Bayleaf Reading Curriculum, launched as part of our celebration of the National Year of Reading. Our ambitious aim is that all our children read a collection of inspiring and beautifully written and illustrated texts that open doors to other worlds and adventures previously closed off to them. They recognize the characters, settings, and themes within the stories wherever they are and whenever they begin their journey with us.

We are future-focused and community-centered at Bayleaf, and within our educational settings we are able to provide work placements and pathways to further learning and careers that can truly change the course of a child’s journey. Through weekly enrichment opportunities and our careers education offer, we give hope and raise aspirations for our children and for the communities in which they live.

From therapeutic programs to alternative schooling, Bayleaf Care is constantly innovating. How do you foster creativity and forward-thinking solutions within such a care-focused environment?

Creativity and forward-thinking at Bayleaf Care are fostered through a culture that values reflection, collaboration, and continuous learning. We encourage our teams to share ideas, reflect on practice, and explore new approaches that better meet the complex needs of the children and young people in our care. By placing children at the heart of all that we do, we are able to innovate with their best interests at heart and do whatever we can to meet their needs.

An example of this is the creation of a bespoke education environment based around animal care to engage a child who had previously been out of education for a significant amount of time. This has been expanded to include offerings around food safety and hygiene, building works, and mechanics in workplace environments set up and developed by Bayleaf Care to support our children and enhance their aspirations.

You invest significantly in staff training and development. How does this culture of learning and excellence translate into better care and brighter futures for the children and young people you serve?

Bayleaf Care and the support that we provide can only ever be as good as our staff team. Our team is our biggest asset because their care, support, and commitment to the children we work with allow us to transform lives and make a genuine difference. Across care and education, we are passionate about coaching models, reflective practice, and lesson study to develop our staff team and ensure a sense of professional growth.

Through this model, we are able to share staff strengths and utilize these to the full. This provides us with the opportunity to develop evidence-led approaches in our unique settings. It is not just the children who are learning at Bayleaf, and this culture is fostered throughout the setting!

Being recognized for “Innovation Excellence Awards 2026” highlights your forward-thinking approach. What do you believe distinguishes Bayleaf Care as a leader in terms of innovation within the child and young people care sector?

Being recognized for the Innovation Excellence Awards 2026 reflects Bayleaf Care’s commitment to continually improving how we support children and young people with complex needs. Bayleaf Care is distinguished by our ability to combine therapeutic expertise with a culture of reflective practice and continuous development. Our approach is rooted in trauma-informed, psychologically informed care, ensuring that every aspect of support focuses on helping children feel safe, understood, and able to build resilience and independence.

We also invest heavily in our staff through training, supervision, and professional development, empowering teams to respond creatively and effectively to the complex needs of the children we support. By working collaboratively with therapists, educators, and external professionals, we ensure our care is holistic and adaptable. Ultimately, our innovation is driven by one goal: creating meaningful, lasting improvements in the lives of the children and young people in our care.

Are there new services, homes, or programs in development that clients and the community should know about, reflecting your commitment to continuous innovation?

Bayleaf Care is committed to supporting children who are the most vulnerable in society and improving their lives on a long-term basis. There are plans for a further four homes in 2026, as well as expansion into supported accommodation for our more independent children once they reach 16, and adult care provisions, registered with CQC, for those who need a little more support and care into adulthood.

In addition to this, two new schools are currently in development, which will provide education for children within Bayleaf Care as well as those who need to access bespoke education from the wider community. This is in response to the current SEND crisis affecting families, as well as children who are not able to cope in mainstream schools for a variety of reasons.

Bayleaf Care is also offering a unique triangulation between high-quality care, education, and therapeutic services to provide a unique wrap-around support system and collaborative approach for our children, demonstrating our commitment to innovation, not for difference’s sake, but to make a genuine difference where we can.

The Visionary Leader Behind Bayleaf Care Limited’s Success 

Dr. Zia Zamir, Bayleaf Care’s Founding CEO, has been instrumental in setting the organization’s direction. He plays a central role in shaping and communicating Bayleaf Care’s strategic vision. Drawing on a diverse background in education, leadership, and humanitarian work, Dr. Zamir leads with a clear commitment to transforming the lives of vulnerable children through high-quality therapeutic care and education.

Dr. Zamir focuses on cascading this vision across the organization—aligning senior leaders, staff, and services around shared values of compassion, professional development, and continuous improvement—so that every team member contributes to delivering outstanding outcomes for young people.

“Our innovation is driven by one goal: creating meaningful, lasting improvements in the lives of the children and young people in our care.”