- Care home
The Sycamores and The Poplars
We served a warning notice on 19 June 2026 to The Sycamores and The Poplars for failing to meet the regulation related to safe care and treatment and good governance.
Assessment report published 21 July 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 18 June 2026. The Sycamores and The Poplars in a residential home providing care including nursing care to adults including those with dementia. This is the home’s first rating under this provider. At the time of assessment 9 people were in receipt of care and support.
We found breaches of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, person centred care and quality monitoring and governance.
During the assessment we found mixed standards of care and governance within the home. Where people required support to reposition, records completed by staff did not evidence this was carried out consistently or in line with people’s care plans. This meant staff could not demonstrate people were being supported safely, and placed individuals at increased risk of avoidable harm.
Some people were supported with modified diets, but their care plans contained differing and sometimes contradictory information about the consistency of food they required. This created a risk that people may not receive food and drink in a safe manner, particularly those with swallowing difficulties.
The provider’s quality monitoring processes had failed to identify the issues found during the assessment. Audits had not highlighted gaps in record keeping, inconsistencies in care plans, or the lack of meaningful activity and stimulation. As a result, these concerns had not been addressed in a timely way.
Despite these issues, we found staff were recruited safely, with appropriate pre‑employment checks completed. People also received their medicines in line with prescribed doses and timings, and staff followed safe administration practices.
The registered manager had taken an extended period of leave and had recently returned to the home. On their return, they took immediate steps to make improvements within the service and to enhance people’s experience of care. This included reviewing care plans, strengthening oversight processes, and beginning work to address the shortfalls identified during the assessment.
People's experience of this service
Most people and their relatives we spoke with told us they felt safe living at the home and described staff as kind and respectful. However, people also told us their care was not always delivered in line with their wishes. Several people said they were sometimes awoken earlier than they preferred, and others explained they could not have a bath or shower as often as they wanted. People felt these decisions were made around staff routines rather than their personal preferences.
People consistently told us they lacked stimulation within the home. They said activities were not offered consistently and that there were long periods with nothing meaningful to do. Many people described feeling “bored” and said this had a negative impact on their wellbeing.
In addition, people told us they were not supported to access the local community as often as they wished. They said opportunities to go out were limited, and some felt isolated as a result.