Homecare provider staff battled icy conditions in South Lakeland to reach vulnerable clients, even using a quad bike in one instance.

Westmorland Homecare employees made the extra effort to provide services to both clients and colleagues.

In some circumstances, they even rescued fellow staff members stuck in snow on their way to clients' homes.

Registered manager of Westmorland Homecare’s South Lakes branch, Kesley Walmsey, said: "Our homecare assistants have shown a great camaraderie, have come together as a team and gone above and beyond to help each other and ensure our clients get important continuity of care."

Westmorland offers home care and personal care services, providing hundreds of hours of support each week.

These services provide essential assistance with various tasks like housekeeping, meal preparation, medication, and personal hygiene.

The company pays close attention to the weather forecasts by Met Office and had set a contingency plan to overcome the recent snow and ice challenges.

Ms Walmsey said: "A lot of our clients live in hilly areas so even a small covering of snow or ice makes it difficult to reach them."

Clients and their families were informed of the weather changes with recommendations to keep heating on at all time and having emergency contacts handy.

Keeping all staff safe was a priority and office-based employees monitored the homecare assistants' progress.

Ms Walmsey added: "We had some instances where carers and office-based staff had to rescue colleagues who got stuck.

"One of our directors, Dr Chris Moss, also went out in his 4x4 on the first night to take homecare assistants to clients’ houses."

In one case, a family member assisted homecare workers by using a tractor for transportation.

Farmer George Taylor picked up staff members Jane Strickland and Rachel Thomas on his quad bike, to ensure his elderly father received the necessary care.

Safety measures were implemented during the cold weather, with staff parking in safe zones and then walking to client's homes.

In the evenings, as the roads iced over, assistance was sought from charity organization Cumbria 4x4 Response.

Their volunteers drove around the area in their winter-tire equipped vehicles, providing transportation to and from client’s homes for Westmorland Homecare staff.

Interruption of service risks lack of medication, potential malnutrition and the possibility of dehydration.

Ms Walmsey added: "It has been a challenging period but working hard as a team and with our partners we have been able to maintain our usual high quality of care."