A CARE home boss has said she is tired of her staff “being treated like second class citizens,” and believes it is unfair to exclude them from discount initiatives.

Debbie Carson is the owner of the Mamora and Pennypot care homes in Clacton and at the start of the pandemic forked out nearly £7,000 on coronavirus tests.

Since then, the dedicated employees at the private facilities have worked tirelessly to minimise the threat of Covid-19 and protect their elderly residents.

Like all frontline workers, care home staff have had to make many sacrifices including risking their own health and adapting to a new way of working during the global crisis.

Debbie has, therefore, been left insulted and infuriated by a supermarket’s decision to not offer discounts to not care workers.

From now until January, teachers and school staff, such as midday assistants, will be able to enjoy a ten per discount off their shopping at Morrison’s.

According to the national supermarket’s website, the token gesture is a thank you to teachers “for looking after the nation’s children throughout the pandemic”.

Angry Debbie now believes the offer should be extended to care workers too, who have had to care for some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

“I’m not interested in what others get, just what care workers don’t get,” she fumed.

“When will society actually recognise and reward care home staff as valued members of our society whom we could not cope without?

“The hard working dedicated staff working in care homes all over the country have been forgotten and it just makes me so mad.

“I wish a major company would recognise the thousands of care home staff as being as important as any other worker and reward them.

“I’m tired of my staff being treated as second class citizens.”

After sending a message to Morrison’s, a spokesman reassured Debbie the supermarket appreciates the “very important work” being doing by carers.

At this stage, however, they said they wanted to particularly recognise and focus on the efforts of teachers.

Debbie is now calling for care workers across the country to be given a bonus or reward from Downing Street for having to still work in order to get paid while millions have not due to the furlough scheme.

She added: “I’m not looking for sympathy or pity, I love my industry and truly value my staff

“But if it means care workers receive a Christmas bonus then that would be fabulous.

“But we both know if they do it will come from me and not the Government.”