Summary•This paper explains the early planning stage of a study commissioned by the English National Board which will investigate the changing educational needs of community nurses with regard to needs assessment and quality of care in the context of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990.•Two focus groups, comprising 22 participants altogether, generated data which were used to augment and clarify issues explored in an initial literature review. Some of the methodological issues are explained.•Traditional community nursing approaches to needs assessment appeared to value process and integration, while the new legislation emphasizes the separate‐ness of assessment; there is a danger that it may be seen as a single event. The consumer views were both supportive and critical about each of the approaches; some important insights were gained, and a confident basis from which to launch the study identified.•The approach offers one possible way to clarify the starting point of a project when carrying out a standard literature review seems insufficient. This may occur with under‐researched or rapidly changing phenomena, or if a field of interest is the subject of multiple interpretations or lack o