Our Team
We’re not an agency — we’re real people, with real experience.
With over 10 years of supporting students from overseas, and nearly 25 years combined working in the NHS, we bring care, commitment, and genuine understanding to everything we do.
As a husband and wife team, YES Guardians was born from our shared passion for helping young people thrive — combining our personal values with professional experience to offer something truly supportive and trustworthy.
Hayley Harris
- DIRECTOR AND GUARDIAN
- FULLY TRAINED PAEDIATRIC NURSE
- CHILDRENS SAFEGUARDING LEVEL 3
- DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD
- mUM
- LIVES IN CHELTENHAM
Marc Harris
- DIRECTOR AND GUARDIAN
- EXPERT IN CHILDRENS SOCIAL CARE
- CHILDRENS SAFEGUARDING LEVEL 2
- DEPUTY SAFEGUARDING LEAD
- FATHER OF DAUGHTERS
- LIVES IN CHELTENHAM
- U8 GIRLS FOOTBALL COACH
Hayley graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2007 and has spent the past 15 years working as a senior children’s nurse at her local hospital. During this time, she has gained extensive experience caring for children from a wide range of backgrounds.
She has a strong understanding of how to support children with additional mental health or physical health needs and brings compassion, professionalism, and reassurance to everything she does.
If your child has a medical condition, you can feel confident they’ll be in safe and experienced hands.
Hayley is also highly experienced in safeguarding and is trained to Level 3, ensuring a high standard of care and protection at all times.
Marc graduated from the University of Bournemouth in 2007 and has a background in supporting children and young people, particularly those in foster care. He has experience running youth-focused activities and providing 1:1 educational support tailored to individual needs. He also worked with the Education Department at Gloucestershire County Council, developing learning materials for young people in the local area.
Marc now works as an IT Manager at a local hospital, where he applies his technical expertise and problem-solving skills. He dedicates the remainder of his week to running YES Guardians, bringing together his passion for supporting young people with his operational experience.
OUR WONDERFUL TEAM
CHLOE CHENG
Chinese Student Support
Chloe provides dedicated support to our Chinese students and their families, helping with communication, cultural understanding, and ensuring a smooth experience throughout their time with us.
ANNE WOODHOUSE
Travel Expert
Anne coordinates travel arrangements for our students, ensuring safe, timely, and well-communicated journeys between school, host families, and airports.
NICK CURRY
Head of Digital
Nick supports our digital presence by managing website updates, email campaigns, and SEO, allowing Marc to fully focus on his core role in guardianship and student support.
JACOB BURTOFT
Airport Chaperone
Jacob provides reliable airport chaperone services, ensuring students are safely met or seen off and supported throughout their journey to and from school.
ARABELLA
Activity Organiser
Arabella – always on hand to suggest the next baking session, sports challenge, or weekend adventure. She keeps everyone on their toes!
ELORA
Head of Gifting
Our youngest team member is Head of Gifting – she helps dream up thoughtful surprises for our students and loves handing them out with a big smile!
We are highly trained professionals you can trust
We’re Hayley and Marc—a husband-and-wife team with over 25 years of combined NHS and education experience. Together, we provide a safe, welcoming, and caring home for international students, blending professional expertise with a true family environment.
Our two daughters, Arabella and Elora, love having students stay with us. They’ve learned so much about other cultures, and our home has been enriched by the friendships we’ve made.
We enjoy cooking fresh, home-cooked meals and love exploring dishes from around the world. Food is a big part of life in our home—it’s how we connect, show care, and help students feel more at ease when they’re far from home. With our Guardian Marc even winning a UK TV cooking show (Come Dine With Me), you can be sure that mealtimes are never dull! Whether it’s something familiar from a student’s home country or a new dish to try together, food brings us all closer.
At YES Guardians, we offer more than accommodation—we offer a sense of belonging, with people who genuinely care. Every host family we recruit shares this same philosophy: creating a warm, food-loving, and nurturing environment that helps young people thrive. We take great care in matching students with hosts who value home, hospitality, and heartfelt support—just like we do.
OUR VALUES
Fresh, Modern Approach
We believe guardianship should evolve with the times. Our students, parents and schools describe us as bringing a “fresh, modern approach” that reflects today’s world and young people’s needs.
Experience That Feels Like Home
With over a decade of hosting international students, we know what it takes to make someone feel safe, settled, and part of the family—from day one.
We take the time to really get to know our students and host families, carefully matching each placement to ensure the best fit. It's not just about providing a roof over someone’s head—it’s about creating lasting connections, understanding individual needs, and offering a home that feels just right.
Built on Professional Care
Our background in Paediatric Nursing and Children’s Social Care shapes everything we do. Compassion and safeguarding aren’t extras—they’re our foundation.
Raising the Standard
We started YES Guardians because international students deserve better. Too many families shared stories of poor communication, lack of care, or feeling like just another number. We’re here to challenge those outdated practices and offer a new standard—one built on genuine trust, proactive care, and meaningful, consistent support every step of the way.
Family First, Always
We treat every child in our care as we would our own. Whether it’s cooking a favourite dish or just being there when it matters most—we show up like family.
No to Bullying
At YES Guardians, we are proud to be the only guardianship provider with a dedicated Bullying Charter—a clear, actionable commitment to student safety and respect. We take a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, exclusion, or any form of discrimination. Every student in our care deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported. We actively work with schools, host families, and students to create environments where kindness, empathy, and inclusion are non-negotiable.
Happy Students from all over the World
As parents to a young family, we approach Guardianship with one simple question — would we feel confident leaving our own children in our care? That same standard extends to every host family we work with.
We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built. Since 2022, YES Guardians has welcomed students from over 30 countries — and that number is growing every month. It’s truly a global community, and we’re honoured to be at the heart of it.
Real Stories, Real Smiles
Every story we share comes from genuine moments and real experiences with our YES Guardians family — nothing is made up or staged. From warm welcomes to proud goodbyes, these are memories we’ve made together with our students and host families.
We’re incredibly grateful to work with such inspiring young people and supportive families, and we take real pride in helping them grow, learn, and thrive here in the UK.
View some of our family stories and latest news here to see what life is really like with YES Guardians.
