What kind of soil are you using? Settling is somewhat normal. When it rains and when you water, the soil will compact a bit over time. Last year I had 1/3 each of peat moss, vermiculite and compost in my beds and it settled a little bit. The soil stayed loose and workable. This year I made new, larger beds and used a cheaper combination of only topsoil and compost...and it compacted a lot. I spent a lot of time out there with a hoe, breaking up the lumps and amended the soil heavily (along with a big dose of vermiculite) before planting the next round of crops.

I'd have to ask a ton of questions to help you determine why your chard didn't grow. There is great info on these forms you can find with a search. My best suggestion for you is to get in touch with someone at your county's extension office so you can get information that is more specific to where you live.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link that will help you find your local extension office

Not knowing your mix exactly it's hard to comment, but a lot of people find that the first year requires extra fertilizer, regardless of the mix (unless it's pure compost).