United Kingdom · Compliance, quality and safety · Lead (8-12 years)

Occupational Health Coordinator

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandLead (8-12 years)
  • Direct reports3-5 reports
  • Reports toOccupational Health Advisor
  • UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Lead Occupational Health Assistant · OH Programme Lead · Health Surveillance Manager

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Qualifi Ltd · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Electronic and Communications Engineering NOCN · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership Chartered Management Institute · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
NOCN Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice NOCN · Level 6 · covers 1 of 10 standards
ProQual Awarding Body Level 6 Occupational Qualification in Health and Safety Management ProQual Awarding Body · Level 6 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Proactive Monitoring Systems for Health and Safety Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in a Working Environment NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Electronic and Communications Engineering
Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership
Develop, Implement and Review Proactive Monitoring Systems for Health and Safety NOCN Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice
Develop and implement proactive monitoring systems for health and safety ProQual Awarding Body Level 6 Occupational Qualification in Health and Safety Management
Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in an Engineering Environment NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Computer Engineering (Information Technology and Data Science)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Occupational Health Coordinator

6 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Proactive Monitoring Systems for Health and Safety Qualifi Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  2. Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in a Working Environment NOCN · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility Chartered Management Institute · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  4. Develop, Implement and Review Proactive Monitoring Systems for Health and Safety NOCN · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 6
  5. Develop and implement proactive monitoring systems for health and safety ProQual Awarding Body · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 6
  6. Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in an Engineering Environment NOCN · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as an Occupational Health Coordinator?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Digital Health Platform Integration & Management
  • Predictive Health Analytics & AI Application
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Occupational Health Coordinator plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

3What this role really is

An occupational health coordinator keeps a workplace health programme running, making sure legal duties are met and staff get the right support. This covers everything from flu campaigns to return-to-work cases, often several at once.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Cority (or similar OHS Software like Cohort, Medgate, eOPAS) Advanced

Configuring new health surveillance modules, generating custom reports, troubleshooting data discrepancies, training new users, overseeing data migration projects, and managing system permissions for your team.

Workday HCM (or similar HRIS like SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle PeopleSoft) Intermediate

Pulling specific data sets for analysis (e.g., absence data for a department, employee demographics for health surveillance planning), reviewing employee records for case management, and understanding HR data structures.

Amplivox Audibase, Vitalograph Spirotrac, Titmus V-Series Vision Screeners (Diagnostic Software) Advanced

Managing the software databases, performing advanced calibration checks, troubleshooting connection issues with hardware, and training your team on proper operation and data saving protocols.

Intelex (or similar Incident Reporting like Enablon, Sphera) Intermediate

Auditing incident data for completeness and accuracy, generating trend reports on injury types (e.g., slips, trips, falls), and linking incident data to OH case management.

Using Power Query for complex data cleaning and manipulation, creating dynamic dashboard templates for others to use, performing advanced statistical analysis for trend reporting, and building simple budget models for OH initiatives.

MS Teams, SharePoint (or similar Collaboration tools like Slack) Advanced

Building and managing SharePoint sites for OH policies and forms, creating automated workflows (e.g., for DSE assessment requests), leading virtual team meetings, and managing shared document libraries for programme resources.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Health Surveillance Programme Design Follows established programme schedules and protocols. Suggests minor improvements to existing programme schedules or communication methods. Designs and implements new health surveillance programmes based on risk assessments, consulting with the OH Advisor on scope and budget.
Complex Case Management Escalates all non-routine case queries to a senior team member. Independently manages routine sickness absence cases within defined guidelines, escalating exceptions. Manages complex long-term sickness or phased return cases, making recommendations for adjustments and liaising directly with clinicians.
Team Workload & Prioritisation Prioritises daily tasks based on direct instruction from supervisor. Manages own workload and prioritises tasks for the week, escalating conflicts. Prioritises workstreams for themselves and provides informal guidance to junior colleagues.
Budget Allocation for Campaigns No budget authority; flags potential costs to supervisor. Tracks spend against allocated budget for routine supplies. Manages a small budget (e.g., £5K) for specific project supplies, seeking approval for larger expenditures.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Health Surveillance Completion Rate
The percentage of employees who are due for specific health surveillance (e.g., audiometry, spirometry) who actually complete it within their recall period.
Target · 98% or higher

If 200 employees were due for noise-induced hearing loss surveillance in Q2, and 196 completed it, that's a 98% completion rate. You'll be chasing the remaining 4.

No-Show Rate Reduction
The percentage reduction in scheduled occupational health appointments where the employee doesn't turn up without prior cancellation.
Target · Reduce DNA (Did Not Attend) rate from 15% to below 10% within 12 months.

If we had 100 appointments in a month and 15 were no-shows, and next month you get that down to 9, you've hit your target. It's about proactive reminders and clear communication.

New Starter Screening Turnaround
The percentage of pre-placement health screenings completed *before* the new employee's official start date.
Target · 100% of all eligible new starters screened pre-start.

If we onboard 20 new production staff in a month, you need to ensure all 20 have their health screening cleared before they step onto the shop floor. No exceptions, really.

Case Management Resolution Time
The average time from an initial referral for a complex case (e.g., long-term sickness, phased return) to a clear, actionable outcome.
Target · Average resolution within 6 weeks for non-complex cases; within 12 weeks for complex cases.

You'll track cases from the point of referral to the final 'fit for work' or 'adjustments needed' recommendation. Shorter times mean less absence and clearer paths for employees and managers.

Programme Effectiveness & Compliance
How well our health programmes meet legal requirements and genuinely improve employee health outcomes.
  • Positive feedback from internal and external audits (e.g., HSE), successful implementation of new guidance, clear and up-to-date programme documentation, demonstrable improvements in health outcomes (e.g., fewer HAVS cases).
Stakeholder Trust & Collaboration
The level of trust and effective working relationships you build with HR, Operations, and the clinical OH team.
  • Managers proactively coming to you for advice on health issues, HR seeking your input on policy changes, positive feedback in 360-degree reviews, smooth information flow between teams (within confidentiality rules, of course).
Team Development & Mentorship
How effectively you guide and develop the junior OH Assistants and Administrators in your team.
  • Improved performance and autonomy of your direct reports, positive feedback from team members on your support, successful onboarding of new team members, their ability to take on more complex tasks over time.
Data Integrity & Reporting Quality
The accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of the health data and reports you oversee.
  • Zero errors found in routine data audits, reports are consistently delivered on time and clearly understood by recipients, data is used to inform real business decisions, robust data governance processes in place.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Making a Tangible Difference to Employee Wellbeing

You'll get genuine satisfaction from seeing a phased return plan succeed, knowing your coordination helped someone get back on their feet. You'll feel good when an audit confirms our health programmes are robust and effective.

Successfully coordinating a large-scale flu vaccination programme that sees 80% uptake, knowing you've helped protect hundreds of colleagues from illness.

Ensuring Compliance and Order

You enjoy the challenge of keeping complex programmes compliant with ever-changing regulations. You like seeing a well-organised system, where every record is in its place and every process is followed correctly.

Implementing a new health surveillance recall system that reduces missed appointments and ensures all legal requirements are met, making future audits stress-free.

Leading and Developing a Small Team

You'll enjoy guiding and mentoring your team of OH Assistants, helping them grow their skills and take on more responsibility. You'll get a kick out of seeing them succeed and improve.

Coaching a junior team member through a tricky data entry task or helping them improve their communication with a difficult manager, seeing them gain confidence.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Gatekeeper' Dilemma: Constantly navigating the tension between managers demanding to know 'what's wrong' with their employee and your absolute duty of medical confidentiality.
  • Appointment No-Shows: Having a meticulously planned day of back-to-back health surveillance appointments completely derailed by two or three 'no-shows' with no warning, despite your best efforts.
  • Chasing Paperwork: Spending an inordinate amount of time chasing managers for completed RTW forms, risk assessments, and DSE self-assessments, sometimes multiple times.
  • The 'Just a Quick Question' Ambush: Employees or managers catching you in the corridor to discuss complex health issues, forcing you to politely steer them towards a formal, confidential appointment, which can feel awkward.
  • Legacy Systems: Battling with a clunky, outdated OHS software system that requires multiple workarounds to perform simple tasks, even at this level.
  • Perception vs. Reality: Being perceived by some as a 'company doctor' there to catch people out, rather than a supportive service there to keep them healthy and safe.
  • Conflicting Priorities: Juggling multiple 'urgent' requests from different departments, all demanding your attention simultaneously, and having to decide what actually takes priority.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely clinical role: While you'll oversee clinical testing, you won't be performing advanced diagnostics or providing direct medical advice.
  • A completely predictable 9-to-5: There will be times when urgent cases or programme deadlines mean you'll need to put in extra effort.
  • A role without administrative burden: Even at this level, there's a significant amount of coordination, documentation, and data management.

8Who you work with

This role directly impacts our legal compliance, employee wellbeing, and overall operational efficiency. If you get it right, we minimise absence, reduce workplace injuries, and maintain a healthy, productive workforce. Get it wrong, and we're looking at increased costs, potential legal action, and a dip in employee morale. Honestly, it's a pretty critical cog in the machine.

Inside the business
  • Occupational Health Advisor (your direct manager)
  • HR Business Partners and HR Operations
  • Operations Managers and Team Leaders (across various departments)
  • Health & Safety Managers
  • Legal Counsel (for complex cases)
Outside the business
  • External OH providers (e.g., for specialist assessments)
  • Diagnostic equipment suppliers
  • Regulatory bodies (e.g., HSE for audits)
  • Training providers

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience (at least 5 years) as a Senior Occupational Health Assistant or similar role, demonstrating the ability to manage complex cases and oversee health programmes.
  • A solid understanding of UK occupational health legislation and best practices, particularly around health surveillance and medical confidentiality.
  • Experience in supervising or mentoring junior team members, including workload management and performance feedback.
  • Advanced proficiency in an Occupational Health Software system (e.g., Cority, Cohort) for managing records and generating reports.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to handle sensitive information and difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

OHS Software (Cority, Cohort) Strategic Configuration

You'll need to move beyond just using the software to understanding its full potential for customisation and integration. This means being able to define requirements for new modules or reports that genuinely add value.

Module Customisation · Reporting Logic & Design · Workflow Automation within OHS

  • This month: Deep dive into the Cority (or current OHS system) documentation to understand all its features, not just the ones we use.
  • Next quarter: Identify one manual OH process that could be automated or significantly streamlined within the OHS software.
  • Within 6 months: Work with the vendor or IT to implement a minor configuration change that improves efficiency.
  • Within 9 months: Train your team on any new features or workflows you've implemented.

Quick win: Explore the 'advanced reporting' features in our current OHS software. Can you build a report that we don't currently have but would be really useful?

Data Visualisation & Business Intelligence Tools

While Excel is great, the ability to create interactive dashboards in tools like Power BI or Tableau is becoming expected. This allows stakeholders to explore data themselves and get answers faster, moving beyond static reports.

Dashboard Design Principles · Data Modelling for BI · Interactive Reporting

  • This month: Start watching free tutorials on Power BI or Tableau. Pick one and stick with it.
  • Next quarter: Try to recreate one of your existing Excel reports in a BI tool, even if it's just a basic version.
  • Within 6 months: Build a simple, interactive dashboard for a key OH metric (e.g., absence rates by department) and share it with your manager.
  • Within 9 months: Seek feedback from stakeholders on what data they'd like to explore and try to build a dashboard to meet their needs.

Quick win: Download the free desktop version of Power BI and connect it to some of your existing Excel data. Just play around with it.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry conferences and workshops focused on occupational health trends, new legislation, and technology in OH.
  • Maintain active membership in professional bodies like the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) or the Occupational Health Nurses Association (OHNA).
  • Engage in continuous professional development (CPD) activities, logging your learning to stay current with best practices.
  • Seek out opportunities to shadow senior OH professionals or participate in cross-functional projects with HR or H&S teams.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Digital Health Platform Integration & Management

More and more, employee health and wellbeing services are moving onto digital platforms (e.g., virtual GP services, mental health apps, wearable tech). You'll need to understand how these integrate with our existing OH systems and how to manage the data they generate.

  • API Integrations
  • Data Governance for Digital Health
  • User Experience (UX) for OH Tools
  • Vendor Management for Tech Solutions

Predictive Health Analytics & AI Application

Instead of just reacting to health issues, we're moving towards predicting them. AI and advanced analytics can help us spot patterns in data to anticipate potential health risks (e.g., identifying departments at higher risk of MSDs) and intervene proactively. This shifts OH from reactive to preventative.

  • Basic Statistical Modelling
  • Data Visualisation for Insights
  • Ethical AI in Health
  • Root Cause Analysis (Advanced)

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Health Surveillance Program Management
  • Case Management & Return-to-Work (RTW) Coordination
  • Medical Record Confidentiality & Data Protection
  • Clinical Testing Procedures Oversight
  • Workplace Assessment Fundamentals (DSE/Ergonomics)
  • Immunization Program Logistics & Management

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Senior Occupational Health Assistant / Technician

    5-8 years of experience

    Skills to master

    • Mastering specific health surveillance procedures, managing routine case files, excellent data entry and record-keeping, informal mentorship of new starters.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently high accuracy in clinical testing and data management.
    • Proactively identifying and resolving minor operational issues without supervision.
    • Successfully leading small-scale internal projects or initiatives.
    • Demonstrated ability to guide and support junior team members effectively.
  2. 2

    Health & Safety Coordinator with OH Exposure

    6-10 years of experience

    Skills to master

    • Strong understanding of H&S legislation, risk assessment methodologies, incident investigation, some exposure to health surveillance requirements.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven ability to manage H&S programmes and ensure compliance.
    • Developed a good understanding of the intersection between H&S and OH.
    • Strong organisational and project management skills.
    • Demonstrated interest and self-study in occupational health principles.
  3. 3

    Clinical Support Role (e.g., Senior Healthcare Assistant) with Corporate Experience

    7-12 years of experience

    Skills to master

    • Advanced clinical support skills, patient care coordination, understanding of medical ethics, experience in a corporate or industrial setting.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Expertise in clinical procedures relevant to OH (e.g., phlebotomy, basic diagnostics).
    • Strong communication and empathy in patient interactions.
    • Demonstrated ability to adapt clinical skills to an occupational health context.
    • Understanding of corporate structures and the demands of a business environment.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to managing occupational health services, directing wider health and wellbeing strategy, or specialising deeply in one area of occupational health.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Occupational Health Coordinator is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Proactive Monitoring Systems for Health and Safety, worked against Occupational Health Coordinator.

Proactive Monitoring Systems for Health and Safety Level 5

Applied to your work in Occupational Health Coordinator

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to develop and implement proactive monitoring systems for health and safety in the workplace. Learners will be able to devise inspection and monitoring systems for proactive performance monitoring and keep stakeholders informed of the outcomes.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Occupational Health Coordinator
  • Health Surveillance Program Management
  • Case Management & Return-to-Work (RTW) Coordination
  • Medical Record Confidentiality & Data Protection
  • Clinical Testing Procedures Oversight
  • Workplace Assessment Fundamentals (DSE/Ergonomics)
  • Immunization Program Logistics & Management
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Occupational Health Coordinator is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Occupational Health Advisor

    Roughly 3-5 years in the Coordinator role (assuming relevant clinical qualification)

    This is a jump to a Level 5 role, often requiring a nursing or other clinical qualification.

    • Providing autonomous clinical advice on fitness for work, complex cases, and reasonable adjustments.
    • Developing and implementing OH policies and procedures.
    • Leading complex health risk assessments and investigations.
    • Managing external OH providers and vendor relationships at a strategic level.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be honest, a big chunk of your day is spent on coordination, chasing, and repetitive tasks. Imagine getting that time back. Our AI Productivity Hub isn't about replacing you; it's about giving you superpowers. It's about letting you focus on the complex cases and strategic programmes that really need your human touch.

For an Occupational Health Coordinator, AI can be a game-changer. It can take the grunt work out of scheduling, help you spot critical trends in health data much faster, and even draft your initial communications. Think of it as having an incredibly efficient personal assistant who never sleeps and never complains.

Smart Scheduling & Reminder Automation

An AI-powered chatbot, integrated with MS Teams and our OHS calendar (like Cority), handles all routine appointment bookings, confirmations, and reminders for health surveillance. It automatically sends pre-appointment questionnaires and can even re-book no-shows. This frees up your team from constant phone calls and emails.

Absence & Incident Trend Analysis

AI tools can chew through our sickness absence data (from Workday HCM) and incident reports (from Intelex) in seconds. It'll flag emerging trends in real-time, like 'MSD-related absences in the warehouse have spiked by 30% in Q3,' or 'a cluster of skin conditions reported in Department B.' This helps you identify systemic risks much faster than manual analysis.

Rapid Policy & Guidance Summarisation

Use an AI assistant to quickly digest a new 50-page HSE guidance document on, say, respiratory sensitizers. It can produce a concise, one-page summary of key changes and actionable recommendations for updating our company's policy. No more spending hours sifting through dense legal text.

Draft Communication & RTW Plan Generation

AI can assist in drafting standardised communications to employees or managers, or even generate initial return-to-work plan templates. Based on your inputs (e.g., 'phased return, 4 weeks, desk duties only'), it creates a structured draft for you or the OH Advisor to review, customise, and send. It's a huge time-saver for routine correspondence.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become an Occupational Health Coordinator?

Common routes in include Senior Occupational Health Assistant / Technician (5-8 years of experience), Health & Safety Coordinator with OH Exposure (6-10 years of experience) and Clinical Support Role (e.g., Senior Healthcare Assistant) with Corporate Experience (7-12 years of experience). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can an Occupational Health Coordinator progress to?

This role can lead on to Occupational Health Advisor (Roughly 3-5 years in the Coordinator role (assuming relevant clinical qualification)), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for an Occupational Health Coordinator?

Increasingly, Digital Health Platform Integration & Management and Predictive Health Analytics & AI Application. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 5

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

More jobs in compliance, quality and safety

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

The skills built here, programme management, data analysis, regulatory compliance and people leadership, apply beyond occupational health. They can lead to broader health and safety roles, HR operations, or consulting in compliance and quality. Handling sensitive data and complex programmes is useful across many industries.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Occupational Health Coordinator plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.