Care home · Stoke On Trent

The Poplars

Rated Requires improvement by CQC Rating published 29 November 2022 Rating 3 years old

Typical fee here £1,210–£1,470 a week Estimate

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Residents and staff in a care home garden Illustrative photo, not of The Poplars
Address
Alsagers Bank, Bank, Stoke On Trent, ST7 8BA
Run by
The Poplars Limited
Type of provider
Independent (private company)
Service
Residential care home
Beds
33 (registered with CQC)
Nursing care
No, residential care only (CQC registration)
Dementia
Registered with CQC to support people living with dementia
Registered with CQC
January 2011 (15 years)
Registered manager
Lisa Marie Cunningham
Company check
Active, trading since 2001 (25 years), accounts up to date (Companies House 04160329)
Last CQC check
29 Nov 2022
Typical fees Estimated
£1,210–£1,470 a week for residential care (dementia). Our figure, worked out from published prices in the region; the real price may differ. How we estimate

Licensed by CQC for: Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care

Read the full CQC inspection report · CQC location ID 1-115287162

About this home

Registered with CQC as a residential care home, The Poplars is based in Stoke On Trent, run by The Poplars Limited. It supports older people, with registered specialisms in dementia, physical disabilities and mental health conditions.

Its latest CQC rating is Requires improvement overall (November 2022). Safe and Well-led were rated Requires improvement. It is one of 33 CQC-registered care homes in and around Newcastle-under-Lyme; 24 of those are rated Good or Outstanding.

Earlier inspections

  1. Jan 2017 Good
  2. Sep 2019 Requires improvement
  3. Nov 2022 Requires improvement
  4. Today Rating 3 years old

Every overall rating on record for this location, earliest first.

Inspection reports to read

The kitchen's hygiene score

5/5

The kitchen has a food hygiene rating of 5 (very good), from an inspection on 17 February 2026 by Newcastle-Under-Lyme. Meals matter in a care home: ask to see a menu and whether residents can choose.

From the Food Standards Agency (listed as "THE POPLARS RETIREMENT HOME"). Open Government Licence.

Location and local area

Ward
Audley
Parliamentary constituency
Newcastle-under-Lyme
NHS planning area
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board
Urban or rural
Smaller rural; nearer to a major town or city
Neighbourhood deprivation
Among the 50% least deprived areas in England
Postcode district
Care homes in ST7 (16)

See the wider area · How to get there · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors

Close by

  • Bus stop 40 m (1 min walk) · 8 stops within 600 m
  • Railway station Silverdale, 1.8 km
  • Place of worship St. John's Alsagers Bank, 450 m (6 min walk)

Distances are as the crow flies, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); real walking routes will be longer and may include hills or busy roads.

Area details from ONS and NHS postcode data via postcodes.io (Open Government Licence).

Choice nearby

There are 20 other care homes within 3 miles, 19 of them rated Good or Outstanding; the nearest is Chesterton Lodge, 1.5 miles away.

It is registered for needs that fewer services nearby cover: mental health conditions (6 of the nearest 25).

6 of the 25 nearest rated care homes have a more recent rating than this one.

It sits in Audley ward, classed by ONS as smaller rural (nearer to a major town or city), among the 50% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. NHS services here are planned by NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB.

Few everyday amenities are within a short walk, so visitors will mostly come by car; the nearest bus stop is under 0.5 miles away.

Reading The Poplars's CQC ratings

Area by area, Safe and Well-led are rated below Good; 3 other areas are Good.

Across Staffordshire, 51 of 235 rated care homes are Requires improvement for Safe (22%), while 71 of 235 rated care homes are Requires improvement for Well-led (30%).

The Safe and Well-led findings are the part of the report to read closely; ask the manager what has been put right.

Costs to expect

We estimate The Poplars at £1,210–£1,470 a week for residential care (dementia), based on published prices in the region. Over a year that is roughly £63k–£76k.

Get the extras in writing: items such as hairdressing and outings are usually charged on top.

Council help is possible below £23,250 in savings: ask Staffordshire Council for a free care needs assessment.

Track record

Registered in January 2011, it has 15 years on the CQC register.

CQC has published 3 overall ratings for it (2017–2022), starting at Good and falling to Requires improvement.

No new overall rating has been published for 3 years. CQC re-inspects based on risk, so an old rating is not a bad sign in itself, but staff and management may have changed.

6 reports have been published for this location, most recently on 29 November 2022.

The five key questions

  • SafeRequires improvement51 of 235 in Staffordshire
  • EffectiveGood207 of 235 in Staffordshire
  • CaringGood224 of 235 in Staffordshire
  • ResponsiveGood209 of 235 in Staffordshire
  • Well-ledRequires improvement71 of 235 in Staffordshire

CQC key question ratings, published 29 November 2022. Under each rating: how many care homes in Staffordshire share it.

The registered provider

The Poplars is run by The Poplars Limited (company 04160329), incorporated in 2001, 9 years before this service registered with CQC.

At Companies House, the company is listed as active, its accounts are filed on time, it has 2 active directors and there is no insolvency history.

Its registered business activity is other human health activities.

Needs it is registered to meet

As listed with the regulator.

Key points from CQC's visit

  • People were not always safe as the physical environment was not always suited or adapted to meet their needs.
  • The provider had assessed the risks associated with people's care and support.
  • Staff members were knowledgeable about these risks.
  • However, some staff practice was not in accordance with safe care.

Inspected 7 November 2022; report published 29 November 2022; supporting 27 people at the time. Source: CQC's published findings, reused under the Open Government Licence. Read the full report.

Family reviews

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Compared with other care homes locally

  • Rated Requires improvement. Across Staffordshire, 78% of the 235 rated care homes are Good or Outstanding and 8 are Outstanding.
  • Its rating (November 2022) is more recent than 61% of care home ratings in Staffordshire.
  • With 33 beds it is larger than 56% of care homes in Staffordshire, where the typical home has 28.
  • Registered with CQC in 2011: it has been registered longer than 75% of care homes in the area.
  • It lists 4 specialisms with CQC; the typical care home in Staffordshire lists 4.
  • Areas CQC rated below Good: Safe (22% of care homes in Staffordshire are also rated below Good here); Well-led (31% of care homes in Staffordshire are also rated below Good here). Ask the provider what has changed since.

Based on the CQC register for Staffordshire as at Oct 2026.

Nearest care homes

Guides for families

Other care homes near Newcastle-under-Lyme with recent ratings

What families ask about The Poplars

Does The Poplars support people with dementia?
Dementia is listed on its CQC registration. Ask what dementia training staff have and how they handle distress or refusals.
When did CQC last rate The Poplars?
Its current CQC rating dates from 29 November 2022, 3 years ago. Ratings can be several years old; ask what has changed since, such as a new manager.
Where is The Poplars?
It is at Alsagers Bank, Bank, Stoke On Trent, ST7 8BA.
Is The Poplars registered with CQC?
The Poplars is on the CQC register as a care home (ID 1-115287162) and was rated Requires improvement overall in November 2022.
What kind of care can The Poplars offer?
The Poplars is registered with CQC for: residential homes. Ask the provider which needs it can meet now and as needs change.
How much does The Poplars charge?
The Poplars's prices aren't on our site yet. Residential care home typically costs £1,295 a week (average 2026 self-funder fees in West Midlands). Ask for written prices covering weekends, bank holidays and any travel or set-up charges.
Is The Poplars rated well for safety?
The five CQC areas: Safe: Requires improvement; Effective: Good; Caring: Good; Responsive: Good; Well-led: Requires improvement. Safe and Well-led are the two to read first in the report.
How many beds does The Poplars have?
CQC capacity for The Poplars: 33 beds. Ask about current availability and room facilities.
Who runs The Poplars?
The Poplars Limited is the registered provider for The Poplars.

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