Looks Like Nothing Happened

Yesterday I read an article by social worker Vince Peart, headed: In social work, success often looks like “nothing happened” because a crisis was prevented.

He says: ‘The paradox of our job is that the better we are at it, the less visible our work becomes… if you’re a social worker, the success you achieve often leaves no evidence behind. It exists in the potential futures that never came to pass, such as the argument that never escalated into violence, the eviction notice that never landed…’

He’s right. ‘Looks like nothing has happened’ is a characteristic of a good social worker…

When I was teaching, ‘measurable outcomes’ were emphasised. A skill was learned, a fact recalled, an exam passed… a box was ticked. ‘Raising standards’ involved standards that could be measured, assessed and recorded… so that comparisons could be made with previous performance and other schools.

Other good things were taught and caught by encouragement and example… compassion, honesty, enthusiasm, helpfulness, confidence… Unmeasured, perhaps unmeasurable, good things had occurred. It could look like nothing has happened.

Granddaughter-Hannah, teaching Year 1 children this term, received a card on which a child wrote, ‘Thank you for helping me shine’. There’s no box to tick for ‘shining’ on school records, but ‘nothing’ hadn’t happened.

Rosa allowed and encouraged a teenaged-me to help in a children’s club… Ray, a lovely, godly man, suffered with depression and showed me that it’s OK not to be OK… Ted showed me what it is to be passionate about values and justice, politics and faith… To Rosa, Ray and Ted it might have looked like nothing happened, but their example still has a profound impact on me.

In Holy Week we recall the events, the teaching… what happened. The more powerful, deeper realities and example of service, humility, truth, forgiveness, second chances, laying down a life… to Peter and Mary then… to many folks today… the unmeasured and perhaps unmeasurable… may give the false appearance that nothing has happened…