G7 security plan 'costing care homes £34,000'

A charity which runs care homes in the coastal town hosting the G7 summit claims disruption will cost it an extra £34,000 in staffing costs.

Cornwall Care, which runs two homes in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, was asked to change staff shift times by the government due to security.

It is having to pay two hours extra daily to allow care workers to pass police checks and get to work on time.

The Cabinet Office said it had been speaking to the company over concerns.

Anna Thomas, from Cornwall Care, said it also affected some of the charity's carers in the community.

"We were asked to change our shift times, so that they would not coincide with the heads of state moving around," she said.

"We were also advised to ask our staff to make provision to come in an hour earlier in case they got caught at any of the checks that the police have in place."

Extra security has meant they must pay their 100 care workers an additional hour each way from Thursday to Monday.

Some businesses inside the secure perimeter around the Carbis Bay Hotel, where the summit is taking place this weekend, have been assessed by the government for compensation.

However, Cornwall Care claims it has been told it does not qualify for any extra funding for additional expenditure at the Headlands and Trewartha homes.

A cabinet office spokesperson said: "We are working with Devon and Cornwall Police to ensure that staff, clients and customers can still access the limited number of businesses located within secure areas.

"We have been speaking to Cornwall Care to address their concerns as part of this.

"We are extremely grateful for the support of local residents and businesses in ensuring that this is a successful, world-class event which will showcase the huge business and investment opportunities in Cornwall."

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