A WEST Devon hairdresser has downed her scissors to answer the call to care for the area’s most vulnerable residents.

Tracey Carnell signed up as a carer after having to close her salon on West Street in Tavistock for the time being as a result of coronavirus crisis.

She now spends her days helping elderly and other housebound people in their own homes across the borough for Tavistock-based company Tavy Care.

‘I knew some of the girls at Tavy Care through the salon and I asked if there was a job going to help out and they said ‘yes’,’ said Tracey, 47.

‘After seven assessments online in two and a half days and two weeks shadowing I’m in my fourth week in the job.’

‘A lot of the people we work with out in the community can’t walk, they can’t do anything for themselves. We do up to four visits a day and we do some pretty tricky stuff.

‘It is amazing what the girls cope with and still keep smiling — they are little troupers and I’m proud to be part of it,’ she added.

She said she felt hugely supported by Tavy Care and her colleagues.

‘It has been brilliant and I am really enjoying it. You can brighten someone’s day in the most vulnerable situations and make a real difference to people. At the moment, with the lockdown, we are the only people many of our clients are seeing at all.’

The chronic shortage of carers countywide has been thrown into sharper focus by the current crisis amid worries about access to personal protective equipment for carers.

However, a recent recruitment drive launched by Devon County Council and the NHS for healthcare assistants to work in hospitals, care homes and people’s homes, has seen many others coming forward to do what Tracey has done.

The county council reported that 1,300 people have applied, some of whom have lost their jobs in the crisis, others who simply want to do their bit. Vets, plumbers, soldiers, hairdressers, builders, students, artists and estate agents are among those who have put themselves forward.

The county council reports that they have had applications from people aged 16 to 65, some former health care professionals but others with little or no experience of working in health or care.

One construction worker said in his application that he had not considered working in health care — but the current crisis made him realise ‘what was important’.

Each successful recruit is undertaking three days of training before being deployed in people’s homes, hospitals and care homes. Here they will be helping people with personal care needs including eating, drinking and washing.

‘I just want to help at this crazy time,’ said one woman, a beautician. ‘I always wanted to work for the NHS but never had enough courage to start and do something about it until now.’

One young man from Plymouth added: ‘I don’t want to sit around waiting for this virus to just disappear. It won’t happen if people like me choose to sit at home. So, I’d like to join the fight.’