Employee with MS

[newboss]

I'm going to be especially vague because of data protection. But I have just started to manage a member of staff with MS.
It's very clear that after a few years in the company that he is not fulfilling his role and other people are doing 80% of his work for him.
He has various issues, such as poor memory, so you can explain a process one day for him, but the next day he will ask how to complete the task again. He has been told daily for 2+ years how to complete tasks, but can't remember them.
We have tried to compensate and have put every single process/task in writing for him, but after a few weeks he stopped using the folder we gave him so the problem persists.
It is also a very physical job, but he is in pain, and slow, which I sympathise with, but the work just isn't getting done in the time frame it needs to be so other people are having to stay late to complete work.
He forgets health and safety processes on a daily basis, which is often dangerous for himself and others, especially with machinery.
Management have asked what can be done to help him do his role, but he doesn't want anything adapted to help him. He's a young man, and I think he feels embarrassed by his disability and refuses any support he's given.
This has led to disciplinaries happening as he's not following work regulations in the company, but he gets very angry about this and then takes it out on members of staff for weeks after.
If anyone offers to help him (especially someone younger or newer then him) then he'll swear under his breath and take great offence to this.
He has told me that he's been looking for a new job for over a year, but hasn't had any luck so far. He admits he's not happy working for us, which is unfortunate for both parties.
I really want some strategies that might help him to do his job more effectively and to make life easier for him.
Ultimately he needs to do the physical things as this was the main part of the job role and he knew this when he applied, and he needs to follow health and safety processes as this is dangerous.
HR aren't much help, as they've offered to put things in place to help him, but he refuses.
Currently we have written all processes and procedures down, and we have implemented shorter shifts over more days a week and have put him in work earlier in the day than most people as we noticed he doesn't struggle as much first thing in the morning.
Does anyone have any ideas that I might be able to implement?
He's very open about his MS and he's told all the members of staff about it, but does not want us to implement anything to help him.
I guess it's causing resentment amongst other staff as he won't ask for help, so it's making their work load heavier, and he can't really be left unsupervised as he needs people to remind him of processes daily.
We are a very small company, so haven't come across anything similar before.
NB lots of small details changed in this post to make it less identifiable.

MS is covered under the rhe Equality Act and the Disability Act so HR need ro get involved, the MS society provides all the info they and he can read

sadly MS isnt a "static" disability so depending on the form of MS problems may be progressive ,its pretty imperative that he has an occupational health assessment asap. I would say having worked with MS patients there can be specific changes in their cognition that can affect their risk awareness and is likely to impact on a work situation as you've described ,
this quote sums it up ...."It has long been known that a subgroup of patients with MS show positive mood and optimism that is incongruous with their circumstances, as well as unawareness of increasing impairment. Reports of these symptoms, collectively referred to as “euphoria,” date back to the 1800s".

I agree with pp OH and HSE may help.

Another option is Access to Work www.gov.uk/access-to-work.The employee applies but assistance can include funding for a support worker or job coach to assist him in work. For example to remind him of H & S rules/process.

I really want some strategies that might help him to do his job more effectively and to make life easier for him.

If you've already offered him numerous adaptations and options to support him and he has refused to take any of those options, nothing we will say on here will make him become more effective or make life easier I'm afraid.

Have you, or his previous manager, been documenting and keeping an ongoing audit trail (eg emails, confirmations in writing of the processes he needs to follow) for everything you've already offered to put in place for him.

That is a fundamental activity in this scenario, you have to show that you as his employer has taken all reasonable steps to support him in the job he is being paid to do. You also need to formalise this to him in a meeting, to summarise and recap on what you have done so far.

if he is claiming that you are discriminating against him, meet that accusation with facts in a meeting, to which he is invited including a representative for support. This becomes your first step in the capability route. It may be that once he realises that he cannot just refuse all your offers of support with no repercussions. He needs the opportunity to explain why he has refused the help so far.

It may be that once he realises that he cannot just refuse all your offers of support with no repercussions! he may start to cooperate more

It could be his meds, I have MS and without the meds I’m cognitively brilliant.

once I’m on anti seizure meds - I’m literally mush! 🥺 the meds also make me moody, unable to focus, and change my personality.

it’s horrible! I had to quit my previous role due to the meds, I since binned them and I’m doing better without them but struggling to find a new job.

still, he could just be milking the system x