UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Health and Safety Officer

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.

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

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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 bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSenior Health and Safety Advisor
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as Health and Safety Assistant · H&S Coordinator · Safety Officer · Operations Safety Specialist

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

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Cambridge OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Diploma in Sport and Physical Activity Cambridge OCR · Level 3 · covers 1 of 13 standards
EAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Buildings, Structures and the Environment) Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 13 standards
City & Guilds Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Electrotechnical Services (Electrical Maintenance) City & Guilds Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 13 standards
1st4sport Level 3 Senior Equine Groom Diploma 1st4sport · Level 3 · covers 1 of 13 standards

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

The units you would start with

Working safely in sport, exercise, health and leisure Cambridge OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Sport and Physical Activity Development
Understanding Health and Safety legislation, practices and procedures _Installing and maintaining electrotechnical systems and equipment_ EAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Buildings, Structures and the Environment)
Safe Working Practices 1st4sport Level 3 Senior Equine Groom Diploma

The future skills this job leans on

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Start my Health and Safety Officer plan, free
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Health and Safety Officer

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

  1. Working safely in sport, exercise, health and leisure Cambridge OCR · covers 1 of 13 standards Level 3
  2. Understanding Health and Safety legislation, practices and procedures _Installing and maintaining electrotechnical systems and equipment_ Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · covers 1 of 13 standards Level 3
  3. Safe Working Practices 1st4sport · covers 1 of 13 standards Level 3
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 a Health and Safety Officer?

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

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • Data Storytelling for Safety
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 Health and Safety Officer 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.

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3What this role really is

A health and safety officer checks that day-to-day work is carried out safely and spots hazards before they cause harm. The role involves being on site, not at a desk, giving practical safety advice and carrying out checks with operations staff.

4What you'd actually use

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

VelocityEHS / Intelex (EHS Management Platform) Intermediate

You'll be regularly entering incident data, managing corrective actions, logging safety observations, and running pre-built compliance reports. You'll be comfortable navigating the system and using its core features.

Sphera Control of Work (Permit to Work System) Intermediate

You'll be issuing standard Permits to Work (e.g., hot work, confined space) from templates, verifying that all pre-requisites are met, and ensuring proper closure. You'll also help audit permit compliance.

Chemwatch / SiteHawk (Chemical Management / SDS) Intermediate

You'll be looking up Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for various chemicals, printing labels, performing basic inventory checks, and contributing to COSHH assessments.

SAP Litmos / Docebo (Learning Management System - LMS) Intermediate

You'll be assigning safety training modules to staff, tracking completion rates for new hires and existing employees, and pulling compliance reports to ensure everyone's up-to-date.

MS Teams / SharePoint (Collaboration & Document Control) Intermediate

You'll use these daily to upload completed safety forms, participate in team discussions, access standard operating procedures (SOPs), and manage permissions for your safety document library.

Microsoft Excel (Data Analysis & Reporting) Intermediate

You'll use Excel to enter data into trackers, use basic formulas (SUM, AVERAGE, COUNTIF), create simple charts for toolbox talks, and occasionally use PivotTables to summarise incident trends.

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
Authorising a 'Stop Work' order Escalate to supervisor immediately, then support the process. You have the authority to issue a 'Stop Work' order if you observe an imminent danger, then immediately inform your Senior H&S Advisor and the relevant Operations Manager. Full authority to issue 'Stop Work' orders and lead the resolution process, informing relevant stakeholders.
Approving a Permit to Work (PTW) Verify pre-requisites and pass to supervisor for approval. You can issue standard PTWs (e.g., hot work, confined space) from approved templates, ensuring all conditions are met, without direct supervision. Complex or non-standard permits require Senior H&S Advisor approval. Approve all PTWs within your scope, including non-standard ones, and audit the process for compliance.
Selecting new safety equipment (e.g., new type of glove) Research options and present findings to supervisor. You can research, trial, and recommend new PPE or minor safety equipment (up to roughly £500) within existing budget, with final approval from your Senior H&S Advisor. Full authority to select and procure safety equipment within your budget, up to £5K, after consulting with relevant operational teams.
Closing a corrective action from an incident Complete assigned actions and report completion to supervisor. You can verify the completion and effectiveness of corrective actions for minor incidents you've investigated, and close them in the system, informing your Senior H&S Advisor. Approve closure of all corrective actions within your area of responsibility, including those from significant incidents, and report on their effectiveness.

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.

PPE Compliance Rate
Percentage of observed workers correctly wearing required Personal Protective Equipment.
Target · 95% consistently across all shifts and areas you monitor.

During your weekly walk-throughs, you observe 100 workers. If 96 are wearing their PPE correctly, that's 96% compliance. We'd expect this to be at least 95%.

Near Miss Reporting Increase
The uplift in proactive reporting of 'near miss' incidents within your assigned operational zones.
Target · 15% increase quarter-on-quarter in your areas.

If your assigned area reported 20 near misses last quarter, we'd want to see at least 23 this quarter. It sounds counter-intuitive, but more near misses reported means people are actually spotting and flagging issues before they cause harm.

LOTO/PTW Audit Pass Rate
Percentage of Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and Permit to Work (PTW) documents that pass internal audits with zero critical non-conformances.
Target · 98% pass rate on all documentation you review or issue.

You've reviewed 50 LOTO forms this month. If 49 of them are perfectly completed and compliant, that's a 98% pass rate. One missing signature or incorrect energy source isolation point can be catastrophic, so this needs to be near perfect.

Safety Training Completion Rate
Percentage of assigned mandatory safety training modules completed by staff in your designated areas.
Target · 90% completion within stated deadlines.

You're responsible for ensuring 150 new hires complete their manual handling training. If 135 finish it by the deadline, that's 90%. We can't have people working without the right knowledge.

Proactive Hazard Identification
Your ability to spot and address potential hazards before they escalate, often through informal observations and discussions.
  • You're regularly submitting safety observations (not just incident reports). Operations team leaders are coming to you with concerns before they become problems. You're pointing out issues during daily walks that others might miss, like a slightly worn cable or a poorly stacked pallet. You're not waiting for an incident to react.
Effective Safety Communication
How well you deliver safety messages, run toolbox talks, and explain procedures in a way that resonates with the operations team.
  • Operators are actively participating in your toolbox talks, asking questions, and remembering key points. You're getting positive feedback from team leaders about your clarity and approachability. People on the floor understand why a safety rule exists, not just that it exists. They're actually changing their behaviour based on your advice.
Incident Investigation Quality
The thoroughness and accuracy of your contributions to minor incident investigations, identifying immediate and underlying causes.
  • Your investigation reports for minor incidents are clear, concise, and identify actionable corrective measures. You're asking good questions to get to the root cause, not just blaming individuals. Your Senior H&S Advisor rarely needs to send your reports back for more detail or clarification. You're helping us learn from mistakes, not just document them.
Operations Team Trust & Engagement
The degree to which operations staff view you as a helpful resource and partner, rather than just the 'safety police'.
  • Operators are approaching you with safety suggestions or concerns without prompting. You're seen as approachable and fair. You're getting invited to informal team huddles to offer input. When you give feedback, it's generally well-received because people trust your intentions. You're building relationships, not just enforcing rules.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Making a Tangible Difference to People's Safety

You'll get a real buzz from seeing a hazard you identified get fixed, or from an operator telling you that your toolbox talk actually made them think twice about a risky behaviour. You'll see the direct impact of your work on keeping people from harm.

You spot a dodgy ladder during an inspection, get it removed, and later see a colleague almost use it. Knowing you prevented a fall is a huge win.

Solving Practical Problems on the Shop Floor

You enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make a process safer without completely grinding operations to a halt. It's about finding practical, workable solutions that fit our environment, not just quoting regulations.

An operator flags an ergonomic issue with a new tool. You'll work with them to find a better way to hold it or suggest a different tool, rather than just saying 'deal with it'.

Being a Go-To Expert for Operational Safety

You'll be the person people turn to for quick advice on safety matters, whether it's about a new piece of equipment or a tricky task. You'll enjoy sharing your knowledge and helping others understand how to work safely.

A new team leader asks you for advice on setting up a safe lifting operation. You'll guide them through the process, and they'll come back to you next time.

What frustrates people
  • The 'we've always done it this way' mentality from experienced workers, making it hard to introduce new, safer methods.
  • Drowning in paperwork and administrative tasks when you know your time is better spent out on the shop floor.
  • Having to justify the cost of safety improvements that prevent theoretical accidents, especially when budgets are tight.
  • Investigating incidents where people are reluctant to give you the full, honest story, making it tough to learn from mistakes.
  • Being seen as a blocker to production rather than a partner in efficient, safe operations.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable 9-to-5 desk job – you'll be on the move, dealing with unexpected issues.
  • Constant praise and popularity – sometimes you'll have to deliver unpopular messages.
  • Immediate, dramatic results – safety improvement is often a slow, steady grind, not a quick fix.
  • A role where you only deal with 'big picture' strategy – you'll be very hands-on with the details.

8Who you work with

This role is absolutely critical for maintaining a safe working environment across our operations. You're directly helping to prevent accidents, reduce lost time due to injury, and keep our regulatory compliance in check. Get it right, and our people are safe, our production keeps flowing, and our reputation stays solid. Get it wrong, and the consequences can be severe, both for our staff and the business.

Inside the business
  • Operations Managers and Team Leaders (your day-to-day contacts)
  • Production Line Workers (the people you're there to protect and advise)
  • Maintenance Teams (who rely on safe systems for their work)
  • HR Department (for incident reporting and training records)
  • Other Health & Safety Team Members (your immediate colleagues)
Outside the business
  • Equipment Vendors (for safety specifications)
  • Training Providers (who deliver specialised safety courses)
  • External Auditors (who check our compliance)

9What you need before you start

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

  • At least 2 years of practical experience in a health and safety role within an operational, manufacturing, or logistics environment, or equivalent experience.
  • A foundational understanding of UK health and safety legislation and best practices. You don't need to be a legal expert, but you should know your way around the basics.
  • Demonstrable experience in conducting safety inspections and contributing to risk assessments.
  • Proven ability to communicate effectively with frontline staff and management, both verbally and in writing.
  • Proficiency in using standard office software, particularly Microsoft Excel and Word, for reporting and documentation.
  • A genuine interest in continuous learning and staying up-to-date with safety developments. You'll need to show us you're keen to keep learning.

10What to practise next

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

Advanced EHS Platform Configuration & Reporting

Our EHS platforms (like VelocityEHS) are becoming more powerful. Moving beyond just data entry, you'll need to understand how to configure workflows, build custom dashboards, and extract more nuanced insights to truly drive proactive safety.

Workflow Automation · Custom Dashboard Design · Advanced Querying & Filtering · User Training & Support

  • This quarter: Explore all the reporting features in VelocityEHS. Try to build one custom report that isn't already available.
  • Next quarter: Work with your Senior H&S Advisor to understand how workflows are configured in the system. See if you can suggest an optimisation.
  • Month 6: Volunteer to be a 'super-user' for the EHS platform, helping colleagues with their queries and becoming a go-to internal expert.
  • Month 9: Look for online tutorials or webinars offered by VelocityEHS on advanced features and reporting.

Quick win: Spend 30 minutes each week just clicking around VelocityEHS, exploring menus and features you don't normally use. You'll be surprised what you find.

Proactive Risk Modelling (Basic)

Instead of just reacting to incidents, we want to get better at predicting where and when risks are highest. This means using data to build simple models that help us allocate resources more effectively and prevent issues before they even start.

Correlation vs. Causation · Basic Statistical Analysis · Data Source Integration · Scenario Planning

  • This month: Start tracking a new variable alongside your incident data, like shift patterns or specific equipment usage. See if you can spot any basic correlations.
  • Next quarter: Take an introductory online course on statistics for business or data analysis (e.g., via Coursera or Udemy).
  • Month 6: Work with your Senior H&S Advisor to build a simple 'risk score' for different operational areas based on a few key factors.
  • Month 9: Explore how our AI 'Predictive Risk Hot-Spotting' tool works under the hood and try to understand the data it uses.

Quick win: When you're investigating a near miss, try to think about 2-3 external factors (e.g., time of day, workload, weather) that might have contributed, beyond just the immediate cause.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending industry webinars or seminars on new safety technologies or regulatory updates.
  • Joining professional bodies like IOSH or the British Safety Council to access resources and networking opportunities.
  • Subscribing to relevant safety publications or newsletters to stay informed about best practices.
  • Participating in internal safety committees or working groups to broaden your exposure to different operational challenges.
  • Seeking out opportunities to shadow more experienced H&S professionals during complex investigations or audits.

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.

Data Storytelling for Safety

We're collecting more safety data than ever before, but raw numbers don't always convince people to change. Being able to turn those numbers into a compelling story—showing the 'why' behind the 'what'—will be crucial for getting buy-in from operational teams and management.

  • Visualisation Best Practices
  • Audience-Centric Communication
  • Impact-Oriented Narratives
  • Simplicity & Clarity

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA/JHA)
  • Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout - LOTO)
  • Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) Principles
  • Emergency Response Planning (ERP) Support

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

    Health & Safety Coordinator (L1)

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Mastering data entry and reporting in EHS systems, conducting routine inspections, understanding basic compliance requirements, and effectively supporting senior H&S staff.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently accurate and timely completion of all administrative safety tasks.
    • Proactive identification of minor hazards during routine checks.
    • Clear understanding of core safety policies and procedures.
    • Ability to work independently on assigned tasks with minimal supervision.
  2. 2

    Operations Team Leader / Supervisor (with H&S focus)

    2-3 years

    Skills to master

    • Leading small teams, managing operational processes, understanding production pressures, and integrating safety into daily team briefings and work planning.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Demonstrated ability to manage a small team and meet production targets.
    • Strong understanding of operational workflows and associated risks.
    • Proactive in addressing safety concerns within their team.
    • Effective communication and coaching skills for frontline staff.
  3. 3

    Maintenance Technician (with H&S certification)

    3-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Deep technical knowledge of machinery, fault finding, LOTO procedures, and permit to work systems from a practical perspective.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Expertise in maintaining and repairing operational equipment safely.
    • Thorough understanding and strict adherence to LOTO and PTW procedures.
    • Ability to identify and mitigate mechanical or electrical hazards.
    • Experience training junior technicians on safe work practices.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to a health and safety manager role, or on to more senior positions such as director of EHS.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £46,444 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (Health and safety managers and officers), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

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 Health and Safety Officer is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

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 Working safely in sport, exercise, health and leisure, worked against Health and Safety Officer.

Working safely in sport, exercise, health and leisure Level 3

Applied to your work in Health and Safety Officer

This unit aims to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of health and safety within sport, exercise, health and leisure environments. Learners will be able to identify hazards, implement risk assessments, respond to emergencies, and promote a culture of safety, ensuring a safe working environment for themselves and others.

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.

Start my Health and Safety Officer plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Health and Safety Officer
  • Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA/JHA)
  • Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout - LOTO)
  • Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) Principles
  • Emergency Response Planning (ERP) Support
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.

17The 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

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

  1. Senior Health & Safety Advisor (L3)

    3-5 years in this role

    You'd move from owning specific programmes to leading significant safety projects and investigations, mentoring junior staff, and making more complex technical decisions.

    • Leading complex incident investigations (e.g., TapRooT, Fishbone)
    • Designing and implementing new safety programmes (e.g., Behavioural Safety Programmes)
    • Conducting detailed internal audits against ISO 45001 standards
    • Developing and delivering bespoke safety training content

  2. Lead H&S Business Partner (L4)

    5-7 years in this role (or after a stint as Senior Advisor)

    This role is about being embedded with a specific business unit or site, developing and implementing their entire H&S strategy, and influencing operational leaders at a higher level.

    • Developing site-specific H&S policies and procedures
    • Managing relationships with external regulators and auditors
    • Implementing enterprise-wide safety initiatives at a local level
    • Leading cross-functional safety committees
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a lot of safety work involves sifting through data, writing reports, and trying to spot patterns in mountains of information. What if you could get a leg up on that? We're embracing AI to make our Health and Safety team more efficient, giving you more time to be out on the floor where it matters most.

We're building an internal AI Productivity Hub, and as a Health and Safety Officer, you'll get early access to tools that can seriously cut down on your admin. Imagine spending less time on tedious tasks and more time actually preventing incidents. Here's a glimpse of what you'll be using:

Automated Observation Analysis

Forget manually sifting through hundreds of safety observation cards. Our AI can scan and categorise text from submitted observations, instantly flagging recurring themes like 'poor housekeeping' or 'unguarded machinery'. It'll even highlight areas where we're seeing an unusual spike in a particular type of risk, saving you hours of manual review and trend spotting.

Predictive Risk Hot-Spotting

This is genuinely exciting. Our AI model crunches historical incident data, current work schedules, even weather patterns, to predict which areas or tasks are most likely to have an incident tomorrow. This means you can proactively focus your inspections and interventions where they'll have the biggest impact, shifting us from reactive to truly proactive safety.

Instant Regulatory Summariser

Ever feel overwhelmed by a new, dense 100-page regulatory update from the HSE? Our AI assistant can ingest that document and give you a concise summary, highlighting the key changes that actually affect our operations. It'll even draft a checklist of required actions, drastically cutting down your research and interpretation time.

First-Draft Incident & Comms Generator

After a minor incident, you'll feed the core facts (who, what, where, when) into our AI tool. It then instantly generates a structured first draft of the formal incident report, a quick safety alert for the wider team, and even a draft script for your next toolbox talk on the topic. This eliminates writer's block and ensures consistent, compliant reporting.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Health and Safety Officer?

Common routes in include Health & Safety Coordinator (1-2 years), Operations Team Leader / Supervisor (with H&S focus) (2-3 years) and Maintenance Technician (with H&S certification) (3-5 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Health and Safety Officer progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Health & Safety Advisor (3-5 years in this role) and Lead H&S Business Partner (5-7 years in this role (or after a stint as Senior Advisor)), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Health and Safety Officer?

Increasingly, Data Storytelling for Safety. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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

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18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.
This job at other levels
More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Skills such as incident investigation, risk assessment, compliance management, and working with operational teams apply across industries. They can carry into health and safety roles in construction, utilities, or consultancy.

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 Health and Safety Officer 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.