Opinions please ..had contract through,no request for references,DBS or bank details....for 1st Sept start

[wonderstuff123]

What does everyone think of the following situation:

Third year healthcare student due to finish course at end of August.
Had interview for job on 18th June,job offer sent via email on 22nd June. Said she'd give me a call later to discuss. No call happened.
Contract sent through 4th July. Said she'd give me a call later that day. No call happened.
I replied on 6th July formally accepting offer and just asking mentioning a few things I needed to confirm.
Sent another email on 12th July asking for an update as hadn't heard anything
Meant to be starting on 1st Sept.

Have had no request for reference details (I applied on Indeed so my CV was sent and the references are listed upon request)
Had no request to start process for DBS (working with kids so this is essential)
Had no request for bank details.

I messaged the owner on Monday just to say,with 4 weeks left until I start,when will you need the details for references etc. Had no reply.

This is a small, independent company who work locally and have about 30 members of staff. From what I can tell,the owner does all the HR and admin stuff. So there's not even another contact I can go to. I have an acquaintance who I know from an old job who loves it there and has told me not to worry and that I still have the job.

It is a great job opportunity and fits in really well with my life but this all seems pretty poor as far as communication goes.

Is it me being panicky? Or does this all seem odd?

The only part of that that I would be concerned about would be the DBS checks. I have provided bank details after my first day and reference checking is often completed after you start work, I had been in my last role for six months before it was completed. I think maybe some public sector employers take a different approach to references but in all honesty they are a pretty poor means of assessing future performance and some employers might see it as a tick box exercise.

I'd be concerned about the lack of contact and broken commitments to get in touch with you when they say they would.

If they're trying to show you they're keen for you to start and looking forward to you joining, which an employer should be doing if they value people, then they're going the wrong at about it.

I think it shows how little they value their staff.... take from that what you will.