ReCharge

The ReCharge Course is one of Re:Minds’ longest running and most successful courses. Re:Minds was asked by the NHS to develop the course almost a decade ago in response to the very real pressures experienced by parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs. Since then, ReCharge has supported many families and continues to receive fantastic feedback from the parents and carers who attend.

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Parenting can be rewarding, exhausting, worrying and overwhelming, sometimes all at the same time. When your child has additional needs, there can be extra pressures to navigate, including appointments, education, services, uncertainty about the future and the emotional impact of constantly advocating for your child.

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ReCharge gives parents and carers time and space to think about their own wellbeing, recognise the pressures they are carrying and develop practical strategies that can help. It is not about telling people to simply “look after themselves”. We know life is rarely that straightforward. Instead, the course looks honestly at the realities of caring for a child with additional needs and explores practical approaches that can be used in everyday family life.

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During the course we look at:

• The emotions that can come with being a parent or carer of a child with additional needs, including worry, frustration, guilt, grief, exhaustion and uncertainty

• The difference between fixable and unfixable worries, and how recognising the difference can help us decide where to focus our energy

• Unhelpful thinking patterns and how our thoughts can affect our emotions, behaviour and wellbeing

• Practical mindfulness and grounding strategies that can help when life feels overwhelming

• What resilience really means and how we can strengthen it over time

• Who is there to support you and why having the right people around you matters

• Making time to look after yourself and finding realistic ways to recharge, even when time and energy are limited​

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Many of the strategies explored during Recharge can also be adapted and used with children and young people, helping parents and carers support emotional wellbeing and resilience across the whole family.

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The course also helps parents and carers better understand some of the systems they may find themselves navigating. We look at SEND, CAMHS and social care, what these services do, how they fit together and what families may encounter when trying to access support.

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What makes ReCharge different is that it recognises the whole parent or carer, not just the role they play in supporting their child. Parents and carers spend a great deal of time thinking about what their children need. Recharge gives them permission to think about what they need too.

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You do not need to be struggling or at crisis point to attend. The course is equally valuable for parents and carers who simply want to understand themselves better, build their resilience, develop new strategies and spend time with others who understand some of the realities of parenting a child with additional needs.​