The Poplars Care Home
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Nursing homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds43
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2023-05-16
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Families describe how staff here ease the anxiety that comes with moving from hospital to care. They're particularly good at helping residents settle in during those crucial first days and weeks, staying close when someone feels vulnerable or confused.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement60
- Food quality60
- Healthcare68
- Management & leadership75
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2023-05-16
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The Effective domain was rated Good, covering care planning, staff training, healthcare access, nutrition and hydration, and how well the home meets the specific needs of people living with dementia. No specific detail about the content of care plans, the frequency of GP visits, dementia training programmes, or food quality was included in the published summary. The home specialises in dementia care for both older and younger adults, which means effective, dementia-specific practice is particularly important to assess. The previous Requires Improvement rating may have included concerns in this domain, though this is not confirmed in the available text.Is this home caring?
The Caring domain was rated Good, covering staff warmth, dignity and respect, privacy, and how well the home supports residents' independence and emotional wellbeing. This is the domain families weight most heavily in our review data, with staff warmth cited in 57.3% of positive reviews. No specific inspector observations about staff interactions, use of preferred names, or response to distress were included in the published summary. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the standard of care at the time of the inspection, but the absence of specific detail means it is not possible to assess the depth of evidence behind the rating.Is the home responsive?
The Responsive domain was rated Good, covering activities and engagement, how the home meets individual needs and preferences, family communication, and end-of-life care planning. No specific detail about the activities programme, examples of individual engagement, or how the home supports people who cannot join group sessions was included in the published summary. For a home specialising in dementia care, responsiveness to individual needs and the availability of meaningful activity is particularly important, especially for residents at more advanced stages. The published report does not confirm whether the home employs a dedicated activities coordinator.Is the home well-led?
The Well-led domain was rated Good, covering the quality of management, governance, culture, and how the home learns from incidents and complaints. The home has a named registered manager and a nominated individual identified in the inspection record. A Good rating in Well-led after a previous period of Requires Improvement suggests that leadership has stabilised and that governance processes were found to be working at the time of the visit. No specific detail about manager visibility, staff empowerment, or how the home uses feedback from residents and families was included in the published summary.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The Poplars provides care for adults under 65, those over 65, and people living with dementia. This mix of ages and needs means they're experienced in adapting their approach to suit each individual resident. For residents with dementia, the staff show particular skill in managing confusion and anxiety. They work to maintain each person's dignity while providing the specialised support that dementia requires. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.
The DCC Verdict
Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.
DCC Family Score
The Poplars Care Home scores 72 out of 100, reflecting a genuine and encouraging improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating to a Good across all five inspection domains. The score sits in the mid-range because the published report contains limited specific observations, direct quotes, or detailed evidence to support the higher bands.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families describe how staff here ease the anxiety that comes with moving from hospital to care. They're particularly good at helping residents settle in during those crucial first days and weeks, staying close when someone feels vulnerable or confused.
What inspectors have recorded
What stands out is how available the staff are, day and night. Families talk about getting support whenever they need it, whether that's practical help or just someone to talk to during difficult moments. The team here seems to understand that caring for someone means supporting their loved ones too.
How it sits against good practice
Sometimes the smallest details — a clean room, a staff member who remembers how you take your tea — make all the difference.
Worth a visit
The Poplars Care Home, on Thornaby Road in Stockton-on-Tees, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its assessment in March 2023. This is a meaningful improvement: the home was previously rated Requires Improvement, and achieving a clean Good across Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led represents a positive trajectory. The home offers nursing care and specialises in dementia, caring for both adults over and under 65. The main uncertainty here is the limited detail in the published inspection report. While the ratings are encouraging, the published summary does not include specific inspector observations, direct quotes from residents or families, or concrete examples of day-to-day care. This means the score and analysis above are based on domain ratings rather than granular evidence. When you visit, focus on what you can see for yourself: how staff speak to your parent during the tour, whether the environment feels calm and well-maintained, and whether the manager can answer specific questions about night staffing, dementia training, and how families are kept informed.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how The Poplars Care Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How The Poplars Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Staff who truly understand what families need most
Dedicated nursing home Support in Stockton On Tees
When someone you love needs round-the-clock care, finding the right place feels overwhelming. The Poplars Care Home in Stockton On Tees brings together experienced staff who know how to support both residents and their families through difficult transitions. They care for adults of all ages, with particular expertise in supporting those living with dementia.
Who they care for
The Poplars provides care for adults under 65, those over 65, and people living with dementia. This mix of ages and needs means they're experienced in adapting their approach to suit each individual resident.
For residents with dementia, the staff show particular skill in managing confusion and anxiety. They work to maintain each person's dignity while providing the specialised support that dementia requires.
“Sometimes the smallest details — a clean room, a staff member who remembers how you take your tea — make all the difference.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
The DCC Verdict
Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.
DCC Family Score
The Poplars Care Home scores 72 out of 100, reflecting a genuine and encouraging improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating to a Good across all five inspection domains. The score sits in the mid-range because the published report contains limited specific observations, direct quotes, or detailed evidence to support the higher bands.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families describe how staff here ease the anxiety that comes with moving from hospital to care. They're particularly good at helping residents settle in during those crucial first days and weeks, staying close when someone feels vulnerable or confused.
What inspectors have recorded
What stands out is how available the staff are, day and night. Families talk about getting support whenever they need it, whether that's practical help or just someone to talk to during difficult moments. The team here seems to understand that caring for someone means supporting their loved ones too.
How it sits against good practice
Sometimes the smallest details — a clean room, a staff member who remembers how you take your tea — make all the difference.
Worth a visit
The Poplars Care Home, on Thornaby Road in Stockton-on-Tees, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its assessment in March 2023. This is a meaningful improvement: the home was previously rated Requires Improvement, and achieving a clean Good across Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led represents a positive trajectory. The home offers nursing care and specialises in dementia, caring for both adults over and under 65. The main uncertainty here is the limited detail in the published inspection report. While the ratings are encouraging, the published summary does not include specific inspector observations, direct quotes from residents or families, or concrete examples of day-to-day care. This means the score and analysis above are based on domain ratings rather than granular evidence. When you visit, focus on what you can see for yourself: how staff speak to your parent during the tour, whether the environment feels calm and well-maintained, and whether the manager can answer specific questions about night staffing, dementia training, and how families are kept informed.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how The Poplars Care Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How The Poplars Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Staff who truly understand what families need most
Dedicated nursing home Support in Stockton On Tees
When someone you love needs round-the-clock care, finding the right place feels overwhelming. The Poplars Care Home in Stockton On Tees brings together experienced staff who know how to support both residents and their families through difficult transitions. They care for adults of all ages, with particular expertise in supporting those living with dementia.
Who they care for
The Poplars provides care for adults under 65, those over 65, and people living with dementia. This mix of ages and needs means they're experienced in adapting their approach to suit each individual resident.
For residents with dementia, the staff show particular skill in managing confusion and anxiety. They work to maintain each person's dignity while providing the specialised support that dementia requires.
Management & ethos
What stands out is how available the staff are, day and night. Families talk about getting support whenever they need it, whether that's practical help or just someone to talk to during difficult moments. The team here seems to understand that caring for someone means supporting their loved ones too.
The home & environment
Visitors consistently mention how clean and well-maintained everything is here. The home feels comfortable and cared for, with spotless rooms that help create a sense of dignity and respect for everyone who lives here.
“Sometimes the smallest details — a clean room, a staff member who remembers how you take your tea — make all the difference.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
